A New Life
by hpfan87
Summary: The story involves an alternate ending to the trilogy, in which neither Neo or Trinity die. It's set in the future after the war has ended. The focus is on Neo and Trinity's daughter, Lux, and her life in Zion.
1. Chapter 1

Alright, so this is my first fanfic. I welcome you to critique it so please read and review!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

She was fully submerged under the water, her night black hair splayed out around her face. Bubbles were slowly creeping out of her nose toward the still surface. Her eyes closed, holding her breath for what never seemed like long enough. All she could hear was the low humming of the pipes around the tub, reverberating off her body as if she were now a part of the room.

Three loud bangs sounded in her ears and the water in the tub shook lightly. Her mother was up. She slowly sat up in the tub, reluctantly leaving her tomb of peaceful silence.

She could hear her mother's voice just outside the door, "Lux, sweetheart, you've been in there for over an hour. Are you alright? I'm going to go make breakfast, and you better eat some this morning!"

"Alright mom, I'll be right out!" she answered.

She heard her mother's footsteps slowly padding away towards the kitchen. Reluctance filled her, as she pulled the plug and the noise of escaping water filled the room. She turned and slowly pulled herself out. She felt a wave of fatigue crash over her body, sucking away her breath for a second. When she stood her head swayed a little. She was dizzy, whether from standing up too quickly or not eating lately she wasn't sure.

Lux picked up her worn pajamas and pulled them on. Her mother would surely point out her absurdity, putting on dirty clothes after having a bath. Lux did this often, much to her mother's displeasure. She didn't care. She hardly saw the point in putting on clean clothes when the days of ever feeling clean and refreshed were long gone. She always felt so tired, no matter how much sleep she got.

Lux walked quickly past the slightly fogged mirror, completely avoiding her reflection. She didn't need to see it, not today. She froze when she reached the door, hand in mid-air, staring intently at the knob in front of her. She listened to where her mother was at the moment. If she was lucky she could make it to her room without being noticed, her daily goal. Her mother would sit her down, force breakfast down her throat, and make her talk about why she was feeling so off lately. The last thing Lux wanted to do was face her mother's stern forbidding eyes. She wasn't feeling too good, and the idea of food made her stomach turn.

She heard a few light noises of pans clanging and knew her mother was cooking breakfast in the kitchen. Feeling satisfied, she walked out of the bathroom, steam escaping along with her. She crept down the hallway and turned go to into her room. Their home was small, but the way it was laid out, a long hallway separated the kitchen at the front from her room near the back. Just before Lux got to her room however, a figure stepped out in front of her, quickly, startling her. "Dad… hi, you scared me a bit."

"Sorry, your mother wanted me to let you know she expects you to eat some breakfast this morning. You're losing weight which isn't a good thing. You were too skinny to begin with." Her father pinched her sides lightly, and she batted his hands away.

"Stop it!" she cried firmly. But when she looked up to see her father's concerned face, her stern resolve faded and she smiled. "I'm fine Dad, don't worry. I'll be right out."

"Good," he replied, smiling back at her. "Oh, you might want to put on clean clothes too, you know how you mother doesn't like it when you wear your pajamas after a shower."

Lux scoffed behind her shoulder as she walked into her room. Her father chuckled softly, and walked back down the hallway towards the kitchen.

Lux closed the door behind her, and looked around her room. It was small with a twin sized bed in the corner and a makeshift dresser against the wall. A few articles of clothing were strewn on the floor, and she sorted through then to find something suitable to wear. She had to work later at the restaurant, so she figured she may as well put on her work clothes, tight fit black pants and a silky black shirt. She actually didn't mind the uniform. They were required to wear the standard pants, but the shirts were free choice as long as they were black. The shirt had been a birthday gift from her parents, and it was her favorite by far. She dressed quickly and looked in the mirror, smoothing down her outfit. Her hair was still damp. It was dead straight and quite long, coming down to about her middle back. She brushed it up into a high ponytail, and put on a bit of light foundation. She heard her mother yell from the kitchen, "Lux, if you're not out here in thirty seconds to eat, you'll be awfully sorry!"

Lux laughed to herself. Her mother tried to sound intimidating, but was actually far too indulgent when it came to Lux. Never the less, she headed for the kitchen, feeling a little hungrier than she had earlier.

When she reached the kitchen she sat down at the table, opposite her father, who was intently reading an article in the Zion newspaper. Trinity was getting out some plates from the cupboard. Eggs were frying on the stove, the smell wafting throughout the kitchen. Lux looked up at her father as her mother put a plate of eggs in front of each of them, "what's the news today Dad?"

Neo looked up first at Lux, then at Trinity as she was sitting down with her own plate of eggs in front of her. He paused for a few seconds before looking down again, and said in a slightly sarcastic tone, "not much really… a few more people were rescued from the Matrix, only a couple million more to go." Neo put down the paper and sighed as he started to eat his eggs. Trinity smiled at her husband, then turned to Lux and asked, "are you alright sweetheart, you look so tired these days?"

"Thanks," replied Lux, "a polite way of letting me know I look like crap."

Neo laughed without looking up from his eggs, and Trinity continued, "you know that's not what I meant, you always look so beautiful. I'm just concrned about you. What time do you work today?"

Lux poked around at her eggs and spooned some into her mouth. "Don't worry so much Mom. I work at three, but I'm going to visit Ana before I go." Ana was Niobe and Morpheus' daughter. She was sixteen, just like Lux. The two had been best friends since they were born just three months apart. Niobe, Morpheus, and Ana lived on the opposite side of the apartment building.

"What do you two have planned?" Trinity asked, finishing her eggs and laying her fork down on the plate.

Lux was already finished, getting up and putting her plate next to the sink. "Nothing really, maybe walk up to the landing dock to see if Mode is back yet."

Mode was Link and Zee's son. He was a crew member on a ship that was sent out to help rescue people still trapped in the matrix. After the war ended, everyone rejoiced, thinking that the human race was finally free. Rescuing people had proved to be harder than was originally thought however. A select few were immediately unplugged, but died soon afterwards as the process was too new and they didn't take well to it. Now more delicate steps were taken to help people cope with the real world.

Lux was hoping her mother wouldn't give her one of her concerned looks like she usually did when she mentioned Mode. He was quite the young man now, just a few years older than Lux and Ana. Trinity often asked how things were between her and Ana. She thought that both girls were hung up on Mode since the three were almost inseparable. Lux lamented that her affections for the boy were purely platonic, and that Ana could have him if she wanted. It was the truth. Mode was sweet and a lot of fun to hang around with, but it was clear to her that he and Ana were made for each other. They both got these dreamy looks in their eyes whenever their hands ever brushed by accident. Lux would just roll her eyes and focus on something else. There were no hard feelings though, she was happy for them. Lux suddenly snapped back to reality and shook her head lightly. Luckily her mother wasn't paying attention, and she swiftly turned around and walked up to the table.

Lux kissed her father's cheek, "bye Dad."

"Bye sweetheart, have a good day at work," he replied.

"I'll try," retorted Lux laughing. She leaned down to kiss her mother too, "thanks for breakfast mom."

"Thanks for eating it this time," her mom replied, before Lux stepped through the front door and closed it behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

So, here is the second chapter. I hope you enjoy it! I know it's rather short, but I wanted to end the scene where I did. I have a few ideas for the second chapter, so I'm going to get started on that. Tell me if you like where the story is going, and any suggestions you have would be wonderful! Please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

* * *

As soon as Lux was outside (well as outside as it could be underground), she immediately felt better. She took off down the row of identical doors towards the stairs that led to the other side of the building. Lux loved spending time with just her and Ana, but she hoped Mode was back today, she missed him. Of course, not half as much as Ana did. 

Lux stopped when she reached her destination, and knocked twice on the door. A few seconds later the door opened, revealing a smiling Morpheus.

"Lux, come in! My you look more and more like your beautiful mother every day. How are you?"

"I'm good thanks, how are you?" said Lux, smiling broadly at the compliment she often got from people.

"I'm… late for a meeting actually," he replied. "Ana's in her room. Maybe you could convince her to clean it up a bit before Niobe gets home, for both our sakes."

Lux laughed, "sure thing! Have a good meeting!"

Morpheus smiled as he left. Lux turned and headed down the hallway of the apartment identical to her own, just backwards. When she got to Ana's room, the door was slightly ajar. Peeking inside, Lux saw the horrific mess of clothes, books, and papers littering the floor. Ana was sitting on her bed, typing on her laptop. Her long dark wavy hair was covering her face, and she looked to be in deep concentration. She looked up however, when Lux knocked softly on the door and walked in.

"Hey girl, how's it going?" she asked.

"Mmm not bad. What're you working on? I don't remember having any homework this weekend?"

"Oh, no it's um… well I was just sending Mode an email. We've been writing to each other since he left." Ana was now blushing quite profusely, and was shyly pushing her hair behind her ears, a silly looking smile on her face.

"Oooooh! You've been writing to each other huh? That's funny since he hasn't written me one word since he left. If I didn't know any better I'd say he likes you more than me," replied Lux, a smile playing on her lips.

Ana laughed, still blushing and said "…do you think he likes me… _that_ way?"

Lux scoffed, "Oh Ana, of course he does. You two are as in love as Romeo and Juliet"

Ana smiled broadly, then asked in a puzzled tone, "Romeo and who?"

"Oh, nevermind," replied Lux.

She forgot that Ana didn't read nearly as much as she did. Lux read anything she could get her hands on. Some books were recovered from the surface, and Zion had a small library where Lux frequented. She'd read almost every book they had, which wasn't that many, but enough to keep her up each night for hours. She devoured stories of passionate romances, desert islands, and beautiful wilderness. She hoped one day she could visit the surface on one of the Neb's reconstruction missions that her parents were routinely going on. Both her parents and Ana's parents were part of the Neb's crew still, along with Link and a few others. While they assured her that much of what used to be was now nothing more than fields of scrap metal and wastelands, Lux still knew it was more exciting that Zion. Zion just wasn't big enough for her.

Lux was thinking now of how exciting the surface would be, when she suddently realized that Ana was talking, about Mode of course.

"Oh my god! I'm so excited Lux! He'll be home tonight! We're going to the rave together! Are you coming?"

"Oh, well I have to work tonight. I won't be off until late tonight," answered Lux.

"So?," said Ana, "raves go untill dawn, you know that. Mode won't be home until late, so I'll be there until at least two or three."

"Your parents will let you stay out that late?" asked Lux skeptically.

"Pfft, probably not, but tonight I don't care. I have to be with him Lux. You have _no_ idea how much I've missed him," replied Ana.

Lux laughed, "Yes Ana, actually I do, he's all you talk about!"

Ana looked completely elated. "Oh Lux, he's so wonderful. You need to find a man of your own so you can stop making fun of me. Is there anyone you have your eye on? Heaven knows you could have practially anyone you want with that gorgeous face and fantastic body you have," said Ana, reaching over to tickle her best friend.

Lux pulled away laughing, "Oh Ana, you're my number one fan."

The two girls erupted into laughter.

"So, you're coming tonight after work? To the rave?" asked Ana, between bouts of laughter.

Lux smiled, gaining her composure. "I suppose I will. Maybe I can meet a wonderful Mode of my own, just as you wish."

Lux knew her parents wouldn't be happy. They strongly disapproved of Lux attending raves, especially with Ana, as the girls together had a reputation for being a bit daring and crazy. Sometimes they were allowed to go, but only if they were home by eleven. Lux knew Ana's parents felt the same way. However, when Ana beamed back at her, and slipped into that daydreamy smile when she was thinking of Mode, Lux too felt uncaring. Maybe there would be a special someone there for her. Lux couldn't help but hope as she too became lost in a reverie of daydreams of her own. Suddenly Lux remembered something very important.

"Oh! Your dad told me that we have to clean your room before your mom gets home!" exclaimed Lux.

"Urgh" replied Ana, looking downcast. She sighed loudly. "Well, let's get started!"


	3. Chapter 3

Here is the third chapter in my installment. I hope you liked the first two! I wrote this one longer than the previous chapters, as I said I would. I hope you enjoy it! Again, please read and review, I love to get feedback!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

* * *

Lux was running down the walkway as fast as she could, whipping past people with quick mumblings of "excuse me!" and "sorry!" She and Ana had spent the entire afternoon sorting through her room, trying to tidy things up, and she'd completely lost track of the time. It was now exactly three, and Lux was supposed to be at work. She rounded a corner quickly into the main streets of Zion, heading towards the restaurant, still running at full speed. She slowed down only as she almost ran into the door, quickly opening it and trying her best to appear composed as she strolled in, out of breath. 

"Lux! You're late! C'mon, before Buzz sees you!" It was Nico, a waitress who worked with Lux, and Buzz was their boss, the owner of the restaurant. She grabbed Lux harshly by the arm, and dragged her into the back room.

"Here's your stuff, now go! Table 3, 4, 5, and 6 are yours tonight! Hurry, we're full up and people are waiting!"

Nico hurried out of the room, leaving Lux to fix her hair quickly and prepare for a night of complaints. It was Saturday night and as always the restaurant was full, extremely chaotic, and loud. A full restaurant meant not enough staff and too many customers complaining about the wait. Lux walked out and headed for table 3. A man and a women were sitting, looking into each other's eyes lovely and talking quiety. They stopped and abruptly looked up when Lux appeared.

"Hi, sorry for the wait. What can I get for you?" asked Lux in an automated tired voice.

"Are you Lux? Neo and Trinity's daughter?" the woman asked.

Lux sighed, she wasn't a fan of the twenty questions people had when they recognized her, it only held her up.

"Yeah, yeah I am. So, what would you like?" she answered quickly, focusing on the pen and pad in her hand.

The woman smiled quickly, then looked at the man across from her, "what should I have honey?"

Lux sighed again, she also hated when women did this, acting as if they had left their brains behind on the dresser or something. The man smiled lovingly at the women, then turned to Lux and said, "we'll both have the sautéed fish with garlic, and a bottle of your finest wine."

"Alright, great!" Lux replied in a fake cheery voice, scribbling it down on her pad and grabbing the menus. She headed for the back kitchen and put up the order. She repeated this with tables 4 and 5. Table 5 had a particularly fussy child, who almost kicked Lux when she asked her what she wanted. Lux felt exhausted already as she made her way over to her last table, number 6. At the table sat a young man with his head down playing with his fork looking bored, an empty chair across from him. He appeared to be waiting for someone.

Lux walked over and asked "Hey there, would you like me to wait for the other member of your party, or did you want to order now?"

The young man looked up at Lux, and she noticed how incredibly attractive he was. She guessed he was a few years older than her, with short dark hair, and deep green eyes. He looked very timid and small, but mature and intelligent all at once.

He cleared his throat nervously then replied, "uh no... no that's alright. I am waiting for someone, but they may be a while, I'll just have a water thanks."

Lux smiled and tried not to blush. His voice was adorable. She felt so nervous but drawn to him, which was odd since usually Lux felt very comfortable and even somewhat distant from the guys she met. He kept his eye contact with her and smiled back warmly. It took Lux a few seconds to realize she was just standing there staring at him, "uh... right. I'll be right back," she stumbled.

She walked back to the kitchens in an almost dream like state, still feeling lost in his deep eyes. She was just about there when she ran, quite literally, into Buzz. She snapped her head up since he towered over here to see the fuming look on his face. She gulped, feeling extremely embarrassed and scared. "Don't think I didn't notice you walk in late. You think just because you're parents are who they are that you're special, and you don't need to abide by the rules, well you couldn't be more wrong!"

Lux dropped her head. Of all the people in Zion who adored her because of her parents, she had to get one of the few people who despised her because of her parents as a boss. "I'm so sorry, I swear I'll never be late again."

"That's right you won't, because if you are, you're fired. If you so much as drop a fork tonight girly, you are out on your ass, you hear me!?"

"Yes sir," Lux sputtered out, she could feel the burning in her throat as tears threatned to burst forth. She wouldn't let herself cry at work, especially not in front of him. She hated him so much.

She quickly dashed past him, and ran into the back kitchens, dodging cooks, as she headed for the glasses. She poured a glass of water, and ventured back out into the restaurant. She headed straight for the man at table six, telling herself in her head to breathe deeply, so as not to appear frazzled in front of him. Just as she was about to put down the glass, the child from table 5 cried out angrily from her chair and jumped down, not seeing Lux behind her. Lux had to sverve to dodge the screaming child, and the glass she was holding tipped and crashed down onto the table. Water splashed all over, and the young man was drenched completely. The man looked stunned and just sat there looking down at his sopping clothes. Lux was frozen on the spot, fear and humiliation coursing through her body. She rushed over fumbling all over herself.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! I'm so sorry! Oh my god! Shit! Shit! Shit! Here, let me get you a towel or something!"

The young man grabbed her hand and looked up into her eyes, "hey, it's okay. Don't worry, it's just water, it'll dry. Calm down," he spoke to her with such sincerity, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to run or just bend down and hug him.

"Oh... but you don't understand. My boss, he'll kill me! I was late tonight! He won't fogive me! He's gonna fire me!" Lux spat out.

The people at the surrounding tables were pointing and whispering to each other, probably about how stupid she must have looked. Lux suddently felt incredibly vulnerable and pathetic for getting so upset and tried her best to calm down. As if on que, Buzz briskly walked over to the table, looking madder than Lux had ever seen him. He looked from the young man, to the tipped glass, to Lux, and said in a dangerously low tone so only the two could hear, "what…just… happened!?"

Lux opened her mouth, but no words would come out. This was it. Goodbye job. Her parents would be so disappointed in her. Just as she felt the tears threatening to pour down again, she heard the young man's voice from behind her.

"Sir, I'm so sorry. She was handing me my drink, and I must have reached out too quickly and spilled it. She was kind enough to try to help me clean it up."

Lux was stunned. She turned to look at Buzz, and saw the anger slowly diffusing from his face. He stared at the man then back at Lux, "alright, don't worry about it. Lux, get a towel for the man quickly." He eyed her again with judgemental eyes, and quickly strode back to the kitchens.

Lux turned around to face the young man and blurted out, "I… why did you… you didn't have to… oh thank you so much. You have no idea how much you saved my ass!" she realized how foolish she sounded, and became embarssed all over again, her face burning.

"It's no problem. He looked awfully angry. I couldn't leave you at his mercy. I would really appreciate that towel though, and maybe another glass of water to drink this time." The young man smiled again, and laughed a little as he looked down at his soaking clothes.

"Oh of course! I'll be right back!" Lux ran back to the kitchens and grabbed a towel and another glass of water. She came back and handed them to the young man.

"Thanks," he said as he reached for both. He carefully set down the water, as if afraid it might tip over again, then began to dry off his pants and shirt.

Lux excused herself, and ran off to the bathroom as quickly as possible, locking herself in the staff. She made sure the room was empty, before she sat down and let out a deep breath. Her breathing slowly returned to normal as she thought of the young man's eyes staring intently at her only minutes earlier. He was so kind. She couldn't believe he had done that for her. She wasn't feeling too embarrassed anymore, as she smiled, thinking of who this guy could be. She wanted to ask him, and she wanted to get to know him better. Maybe she could ask him to join her at the rave tonight? No way. He'd think she was a damn fool after what just happened. What was she thinking? He was probably thinking to himself what a clutz she was, and how pathetic she was to crumble like that and get so upset. Definitly not. He mentioned he was waiting for someone too, probably a girlfriend. Lux resolved to go back out and apologize once more, then try to focus on her work.

She got up, opening the stall, and headed over to the sink. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were still bloodshot from crying. She splashed some water onto her face, and walked back out to the restaurant. Once she had delivered meals to tables 3, 4, and 5, she headed back over to six. She noticed the young man was now accompanied by an older gentlemen who resembled him greatly. She walked over and overheard the older man asked him why his clothes were damp, and the younger man explaining what happened.

When Lux walked up, the older gentleman laughed and said, "so you must be the infamous, albeit a tad clumsy, waitress?" He looked at the younger man before saying, "my, but you never mentioned she was so beautiful."

Lux smiled and blushed, and turned to the younger man, "I'm so sorry again, and thank you for covering for me."

The young man smiled back, "ah, like I said, no problem. It gave me an excuse to introduce myself. My name's Cody. This is my older brother Jason." He motioned to the older gentlemen sitting across from him, who smiled at Lux.

"My name is Lu-."

"Lux, I know," interrupted Cody.

Lux looked at him surprised, "but…"

"You're Neo and Trinity's daughter," he said, his smile getting wider, "of course I know who you are."

Lux just smiled and looked down at her feet timidly. The stare Cody was giving her had begun to make her knees feel weak.

Both men ordered and after they had eaten, Lux was standing at the front getting the bill ready. Suddenly, Cody came up beside her and said, "hey, I was wondering… I know we don't really know each other, but… would you like to go out sometime?"

Lux stopped what she was doing, and turned slowly to look him in the eyes. Those eyes. She felt herself nod, but couldn't manage any more than that.

He grinned broadly and asked, "so what day do you think you might be free? I could meet you somewhere?"

Before Lux knew it, she was spitting out words, "well, If you want to you could come to the rave with me and my friend tonight?"

He considered this for a moment before asnwering, "yeah, sure. Uh… I have some work to do tonight with my brother, but I could meet you there afterwards, say around midnight?"

Lux got off work at eleven, so the timing couldn't have been better. That would give her time to go home and change, then meet up with Ana too. "Yeah, definitely!" she replied.

"Alright, awesome. See you then Lux," replied Cody as he handed her some money, much more than was necessary for a decent tip.

Lux watched him leave the restaurant with his brother, and looked down at her feet, smiling. She could tell already that her night was going to get much better.


	4. Chapter 4

Here is chapter four! Hope you enjoy! Please read and review!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix

* * *

Lux finished wiping off the last table, and walked back to the kitchens, throwing the rag on the counter. She washed her hands, and waved goodnight to all the remaining cooks still washing up dishes. She flicked off the main lights, and exited out into the now empty street. 

Heading off back home, she glanced at her watch. It read five after eleven. She had only fifty-five minutes left until she met up with Cody, and she felt elated. She had been thinking about him all night. It happened so fast, seeing him, spilling water on him, and now meeting up with him. She started to think about their conversation when she had introduced herself. He had known the whole time exactly who she was, and she wasn't sure what to make of this. Perhaps he was some stalker or close follower of 'the One's daughter.' It wasn't cold out, but she shivered lightly. He seemed a little too good to be true, now that she thought about it.

She forced the thought out of her mind, as she reached her front door. She opened it swiftly and walked inside, spotting her mother right away, sitting at the kitchen table. Trinity looked up as soon as she walked in, and gave her a huge smile as she usually did when Lux got home.

"Hi sweetie, I thought I'd wait up for you. It's been a while since you and I had a chance to talk. How was work?"

Lux smiled and said, "it was… uh… eventful!"

"Oh really?" replied Trinity, looking interested, "do tell."

"Well," started Lux, sitting down across from her mother, "I met this guy…"

Just then, Lux heard her father's voice from the kitchen doorway, "he better not be good looking."

Lux turned to him and put on her sweetest smile. "He wasn't nearly as handsome as you Daddy," she said, with a charming tone.

Neo laughed, and walked over to kiss the top of Lux's head.

"What's his name?" Trinity asked, averting both their attention back to her.

"Cody," replied Lux.

"That's it, just Cody?" asked Neo.

Lux felt a little foolish, she really knew very little about Cody, and here she was fawning over him. "Well, we only talked briefly, but we're meeting up tonight."

"Tonight? But it's already after eleven?" her mother asked.

Lux looked down at the table, "well Ana and I were going to go to the rave tonight, and I said I'd meet him there."

After looking up to see the stern look in her mother's eyes, Lux added quickly, "but I promise I won't stay long, and I won't drink anything of course. I'll just meet up with Cody for a few minutes, then come straight home again."

Trinity looked up at Neo, still standing behind Lux, and asked, "what do you think, Neo?"

Neo shrugged, "as long as she's home by one, I don't see a problem."

He tilted Lux's chin so she was looking up at him and added, "but be careful with this guy, especially since you don't know much about him. He could be anybody, even someone who might want to hurt you. Stay close to Ana."

Lux smiled and said, "you worry too much Dad, but all the same, I'll be careful."

Neo smiled back and looked at Trinity, "I think she means it."

"Alright, but you better be home by one. I'll still be up, and I'll be watching the clock. Absolutly NO drinking!" said Trinity in an authoritative voice.

"I got it Mom!" replied Lux exasperately, standing up and walking towards her room to quickly get changed.

Once in her room, Lux searched around for her black skirt. It was short but not too short, and flowed out just above her knees. She usually only wore it when she wanted to get some attention, and tonight she definitely did. She found it and slipped it on, along with a deep red tank top. She let down her hair, and smoothed out the kink from her ponytail as best she could. She applied a little lipstick, then checked herself out in her mirror. She smiled back at her reflection, feeling confident that this would get Cody's attention. She didn't want to seem too superficial, glaming herself up, but she still wanted to look good. She picked out her favourite shoes, soft black flats, and exited her room.

"You look beautiful," exclaimed Trinity, when Lux entered the kitchen.

Neo looked more concerned. "Isn't that skirt a little… short?"

Trinity swatted at him playfully, and turned back to a frowning Lux, "ignore him sweetie, you look lovely."

"Thank you, _mother_," replied Lux, glaring at her father.

Neo held up his hands in mock surrender, "hey, sorry! It was a legitimate question!"

Lux just laughed and waved goodbye to her parents before leaving.

She promptly glanced at her watch, and saw that it was already quarter to twelve. She walked briskly to the main street that led to the enormous building that housed the rave. She could already hear the deep drumming, and felt a rush of excitement pump through her veins.

She reached the entrance at almost exactly twelve, and looked around for Cody. She couldn't see him, so she opened the doors and walked just inside. Loud music thumped in her ears, and she looked around at the masses of people dancing and drinking. She briefly looked for Ana, but there were too many people to see properly, so she took to leaning against the wall, waiting for Cody.

Less than a minute later, she spotted him, weaving through people coming towards her, his eyes locked with hers. She felt a huge jolt of electricity when he reached her and kissed her cheek lightly. She blushed as he smiled and said, "hey, you look fantastic."

Lux smiled back, feeling giddy as ever.

She heard a familiar voice call out her name, "Lux, over here!" It was Ana, holding onto an elated looking Mode.

"Hey!" Lux shouted running over and embracing them both, "Mode, I'm so glad you're back."

"Me too," he replied, snaking his arm around Ana. Ana just blushed and laughed.

"Who's your friend?" asked Ana, looking around behind Lux at Cody, who was now looking quite shy.

"Oh, this is Cody," replied Lux, "Cody, these are my friends Ana and Mode."

"Good to meet you," said Cody, shaking Mode's hand and smiling at Ana.

Ana leaned into Lux, and whispered in her ear, "oh! He's so cute!"

Lux just blushed and giggled, nodding her head.

Ana grabbed Lux's hand, "let's go get drinks! Come on Cody."

Cody and Mode followed behind as Ana guided Lux through masses of dancing bodies, up towards the bar. When they reached it Ana yelled out, "four shots please!"

Lux suddenly heard her mother's voice run through her head and said, "Ana, I promised my parents I wouldn't drink tonight."

Ana just laughed, "oh come on, one little drink won't hurt. They'll never know!"

The bartender walked back over with four shots. When he caught sight of Lux, he winked at her and said, "no charge girls."

"Thanks so much!" exclaimed Ana, then turned to Lux and handed her a shot, "I love having you around!"

Lux laughed, "Gee thanks, I guess I'm only good for one thing."

Ana downed her shot quickly and looked at Lux expectantly, "oh come on. You have to! It would be an insult to that kind bartender!"

Lux hated breaking promises to her parents, but it was just one shot. Ana was right, they'd never know. Lux took the shot, wincing as the alcohol burned its way down her throat. Ana smiled triumphantly and shoved another shot into her hand, downing a second one herself. "Just one more!"

Lux hesitated. Mode and Cody were ordering their own drinks at the other side of the bar. They each took a shot and walked back over to the girls.

"Want to dance?" Cody asked grabbing Lux's free hand and looking expectantly into her eyes.

Lux always felt very subconscious when it came to dancing. She knew that she was pretty, but didn't exactly see herself as sexy, and dancing was supposed to be sexy. She felt a twinge of nerves bundle up in her stomach, and suddenly the shot in her hand was looking quite good. She quickly downed it, placed the glass back on the bar counter, and turned to face Cody.

"Definitly," she replied, locking eyes with him.

She still felt incredibly nervous, and willed the alcohol to take quick effect as Cody led her down the dance floor behind Ana and Mode. He stopped and placed his hands on either side of her hips. Lux felt as if she were on fire, his hands felt so good. She forced herself to relax, and eventually fell into a rhythm, swaying back and forth with the beat.

Within a few minutes, Lux felt a rush of euphoria as the liquor found its way into her system. She felt amazing and her self-consciousness quickly evaporated. Cody was slowly getting closer to her, their bodies heating up, and then suddenly his lips were on hers. She'd kissed a few boys before, but nothing felt like this. Waves of heat crashed through her body, and she returned the kiss with fervor. They broke apart and Cody was smiling down at her, their bodies now frozen on the spot, "I've wanted to do that ever since you spilled that water on me."

Lux laughed and replied, "well I'm glad I did then."

They continued dancing and before she knew it Ana had grabbed her hand once more, and was leading her back to the bar.

This time Lux didn't hesitate to take another shot, feeling completely carefree, forgetting her promise to stay sober. Normally, bartenders didn't serve alcohol to anyone under eighteen, but she and Ana always got special treatment. Whether it was because they were two young good looking girls, or because both their parents were hailed as heroes in Zion, they weren't sure, but neither cared.

It wasn't until Lux had taken about her seventh shot that Ana suddenly said, "hey take it easy, I don't want to have to carry you home."

Lux laughed loudly, and looked around for Cody. He was standing off to the side of the bar, talking to Mode. Mode looked up when he saw Lux approaching, "hey, I was just talking to your guy here, he really knows his stuff. He's been on board almost every ship in Zion!"

Normally, Lux would have been intelligently inquisitive, but instead she just laughed and said rather stupidly, "Mode, I really missed you! Ana's been so hard to listen to. Why don't you just marry her already?!"

Mode laughed nervously, then looked at her through narrowed eyes, "how much have you had to drink Lux?"

Lux shrugged off the question, and turned back to Cody, "want to dance again?"

"Yeah, sure," he replied, and followed her back down to the floor.

Lux felt a little dizzy, but tried to hide her stumbling feet. The alcohol was reacting more and more, and she slowly started to feel incredibly light headed as she danced. Cody didn't seem to notice.

Then without warning, a wave of dizziness crashed over her, and she nearly fell until Cody caught her.

"Hey, I think you should sit down," he told her, concern echoing in his voice. Lux only nodded, and got back some of her footing, stumbling through people.

She sat down on the stairs leading up the bar, Cody beside her, apprehension etched in his face.

Lux suddenly felt extremely embarrassed. She had drunk way too much, and for the second time tonight, she had been humiliated. The feeling only intensified as she slumped over forwards, feeling quite ill. Her head was now throbbing from the loud music.

Suddenly she felt herself being lifted up, and instinctively put her arms around Cody's neck, her eyes shut, leaning against his shoulder. He smelled so nice she thought, smiling to herself, her embarrassment completely forgotten.

She heard Ana's voice when they reached the bar, "Oh my god!"

"I told you she drank too much," Lux heard Mode say in what seemed like a far off voice.

Lux felt herself being seated down in a chair against the wall, and Cody sat down beside her with an arm around her shoulder, propping her up.

Ana sat down on the other side of her, and gently brushed Lux's hair out of her eyes, cupping her face with her hand.

"Oh Lux, your parents will have my head! Not to mention my parents will kill me too!" Her words were spoken with suprising concern, more than anger.

Lux grabbed her hand that was holding her face, "I'm sorry, it was my fault. I was just having such a good time."

Now that she was sitting down, Lux was starting to feel less sick, but still very limp and foolish.

Ana laughed sarcastically, 'oh believe me, it'll be my fault."

She then looked over at Cody and said, "thanks for bringing her up here, but I better get her home. It's almost two, and I'm sure her parents are waiting up, along with mine."

Fear ran through Lux when she heard this, as she realized she'd broken two promises to her parents. She was past curfew, and she was definitely drunk. The happy euphoria she had felt was replaced with intense guilt.

Cody turned her face to look at him, "despite how embarrassed you will probably feel tomorrow, I had an amazing time tonight, and I'd love to see you again." He kissed her once more and added, "I hope you feel the same way."

Lux nodded, "I do."

Cody smiled, then stood up and said goodnight to Ana and Mode, before turning to leave.

Lux watched him go and smiled to herself, the feel of his lips still lingering on hers, until Ana broke her reverie.

"Alright you alcoholic, let's go!"

Ana helped her stand, and together her and Mode led Lux through the crowds of people to the front doors. Once outside, Lux took in a deep breath of cool air, and attempted to walk on her own. She got about two feet and stumbled over herself, laughing as Mode caught her and shook his head, "silly girl."

Lux relied on both to lead her the rest of the way home, and suddenly yelled at them to stop when they were outside her front door.

"No, wait! I have to appear sober!" Lux fumbled over herself, smoothing down her hair, and trying to stand up straight.

She stepped forward, reached for the knob, and almost head butted the door falling over. Mode caught her once again and said, "honey, don't try to hide it. They're going to know, so just let us do the talking."

Lux nodded relunctantly, and steadied herself against Mode, as Ana took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.


	5. Chapter 5

I noticed as I was writing this chapter, the POV switches just a little from Lux to her parents. I was going to go back and fix it, but I kind of like it the way it is. I hope no one minds. I know it's not really "proper," but I think it adds a bit to the story. Anyways, here's the fifth chapter! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

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Ana pushed open the door while Mode led Lux into the apartment. None of them noticed the four people sitting in the kitchen, until Niobe cried, "what in the hell happened Ana!? We've been waiting up for you all night, you never told us you were going to the rave!?" 

Niobe marched towards the three, glaring down at Ana, oblivious to the state that Lux was in, as Mode had let her go just moments before.

Standing on her own two feet proved difficult once again, as Lux became dizzy and swayed on the spot, her shoulder colliding with the wall painfully. She quickly regained her composure, as her mother and father and Morpheus followed Niobe from the kitchen.

"Well…" Ana stumbled, looking to Mode for help, "Mode just got back today, and we didn't think you'd mind. I just forgot to tell you."

"Damn right you did!" screamed Niobe. "Trinity and Neo said Lux was to be home by one, you could have at least brought her back in time!"

Attention was now directed at Lux, as she tried her best to appear sober, hoping the alcohol had worn off enough to grant her this. Unfortunately, her body did not agree, and she hiccoughed softly and fell back against the wall.

Niobe suddenly looked even more furious than before, if that was even possible, and asked angrily "Ana, is she drunk!? Were you two drinking!?"

"No!" cried Ana, "_I _wasn't drinking, but Lux was just a bit."

Lux laughed and shouted, "you _LIAR_!"

The angry look on Trinity's face however, forced all the laughter out of Lux. She felt the guilt fill her once more and looked down at her shoes, "I'm sorry Mom, I know I promised I wouldn't drink. I never meant to, but Ana said you wouldn't notice."

Normally Lux would never rat on her best friend, but the liquor seemed to have made her brutally honest.

Morpheus sighed and looked back at Ana, "you should have been watching out for her. The two of you need to be able to count on one another."

Ana looked down shamefully. Mode had been silent the entire time, trying his best to fade into the background.

Neo spoke next, "Mode, you can go now. Thanks for helping Lux home."

Mode nodded appreciatively, and quickly ran out the door.

Ana looked on the brink of tears, and Lux had never felt more sorry for her. She reached out to hug her, but forgot how uncoordinated she was, and just about fell on her face until Neo jumped out and caught her, "Woah! Hold on there."

She was lucky to have people around with such quick reflexes.

Lux looked up at her father, trying hard not to cry, "I'm sorry Daddy, please don't hate me."

Neo helped her back up and hugged her to him, "I could never hate you."

Niobe seemed to have vented most of her angry, and appeared more composed than before. However, Ana had her head still down, with tears free flowing down her face.

In a quiet voice Niobe said, "let's just go home, we'll talk about this tomorrow," as she and Morpheus walked past Ana towards the door.

Niobe turned back to address Trinity, "we'll talk to you tomorrow, thanks for waiting up with us."

"Of course," replied Trinity, smiling back warmly.

"Ana," said Niobe, "let's go… now."

Ana, still looking down, mumbled a quick apology to Neo and Trinity, then wiped her cheek and turned around, following her parents out.

Lux was now also sobbing into Neo's chest, mumbling apologies. He smoothed down her hair, kissed the top of her head, and looked up at Trinity, "She sure feels bad Trin, don't be too hard on her."

Trinity sighed. For being 'the One,' Neo was surprisingly soft on their daughter, leaving Trinity to be the one to reprimand her and hand out punishments.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow. I'm still very angry, so you should probably help her get to bed, lest I take out my wrath on her now in the fragile state she's in."

Neo smiled. He knew Trinity well enough to know by tomorrow, she'd probably be over the whole thing, though he couldn't say the same for Morpheus and Niobe.

Trinity turned off the kitchen light and walked down the hall to their bedroom, leaving Neo and Lux by the front door still. Neo looked down at his daughter, "come on sweetie, let's get you into bed."

Neo helped Lux, as she stumbled along beside him into her room, her face still damp with tears. Neo sat her on the bed and excused himself while she got dressed, and got her a glass of water. Lux got dressed, slowly but surely, into her pajamas, and got under the covers of her bed. Neo knocked softly and walked back in, placing the glass of water beside her on the dresser. He knelt down beside her on the bed, and wiped the last of the tears off her cheeks.

"I love you Lux," he said warmly.

"I love you too Dad," she replied. "Are you disappointed in me?"

Neo thought about it then answered, "I'm disappointed that you broke your promise, but I'm not disappointed in you. I know how bad you feel, and I'm sure you'll feel even worse tomorrow."

Lux nodded and smiled lightly, "thank you." Neo kissed her forehead and said, "no problem, goodnight sweetie."

"Goodnight Dad," Lux replied.

Neo stood up and walked out of her room, turning off the light and closing the door. As Lux heard her father's footsteps along the hallway, she reached over for a drink of water. Her headache had stopped and she felt less dizzy, but the nausea had found it's way back. The water seemed to hit a nerve in her stomach, and she felt the familiar pain climb up her throat. She sat up quickly and headed out of her room towards the bathroom. As soon as she stepped inside and closed the door, she promptly got sick in the toilet. She prayed her parents didn't hear, but didn't see how they couldn't when their room was just on the other side of the wall.

She sat back against the bathtub, and put her hand to her forehead, closing her eyes. At least she'd start to feel better after being sick. She'd only drank this much once before, and the results had been the same. She should know better. She suddenly once again felt the pain in her stomach and got sick again. She sat up wincing at the pain burning at her throat.

It was her mother who appeared in the doorway, looking down at her concerned, "Lux, are you alright?"

Lux was about to answer when another wave of nausea overcame her, and she bent over, expelling her stomach. She felt her mother's hand on her back, rubbing her soothingly, and pulling her hair away from her face. Her mother could be so gentle sometimes.

Lux wiped her mouth and sat back down on the cold bathroom floor, letting Trinity wrap her arms around her. Lux realized she was crying again, as her mother brushed away her tears and said, "I'll be right back."

She got up and left Lux on the floor, still clutching her stomach.

A few moments later, Trinity reappeared with Lux's blanket from her bed, her pillow, and the glass of water her father had brought her. Trinity sat down, placing the pillow in her lap and pulled Lux down on her, covering them with her blanket. Lux was crying still, but not from pain, as her stomach was starting to ease up, but more with emotion. Even after her broken promises, her mother was willing to stay up and comfort her. Lux had never felt so loved in her whole life.

She could hear her mother above her, "shhh, it's alright, just try to rest now."

Trinity rubbed her back and Lux felt fatigue wash over her, as she closed her eyes, and fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter is really long, but I was on a roll once I started writing. Please read and review! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

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When Lux woke up the next morning, she opened her eyes to see she was back in her bed. She wondered if last night had all been a bad dream, until she sat up and her head felt like it was being split in two. She closed her eyes and laid her head back down, willing the pain to stop. She decided her best bet was to get up and take some pain killers, so she sat up slowly and walked out of her room. Once she reached the kitchen, she saw that both her mother and father were up. They both smiled at her, and her mother asked, "how are you feeling?" 

Lux frowned and slumped into a chair, "not great."

Her mother sighed and said in a sarcastic voice, "what a surprise."

She got up and walked over to the cupboard. Coming back over, she put two aspirin in front of Lux, and a glass of water.

Lux smiled back gratefully and swallowed the aspirin immediately, almost choking on the water. Lux suddenly remembered what her mother had done for her last night, and looked up at her, "Mom, thank you for last night. For staying up with me I mean."

Her mother was now at the stove cooking breakfast and just shrugged her shoulders, "I'm your mother. It's my job. Your father took you back to your bed after you fell asleep, so thank him."

Neo looked at Lux warmly, as she got up to kiss his cheek. Her parents were awesome, she felt so lucky. Lux then thought about her actions last night, and wondered if she should even bring up the subject of punishment. As if reading her thoughts, her mother then answered her silent question.

"As far as your punishment goes, I've already talked to Niobe this morning."

"…And?" asked Lux inquisitively. "…is it the death penalty?" She sighed dramatically, "I'm not afraid to die!"

Trinity turned around, apparently not amused by her joke. "We thought about not letting you or Ana see each other for at least a week."

Lux almost jumped right out of her chair, but her head pounded loudly forcing her to stay sitting. "No way!" she still managed to get out.

Neo looked warily at her, almost afraid, "calm down Lux. You know your mother wouldn't do that."

Lux looked back at her Mom, willing her to continue with her eyes.

Trinity looked at her, unfazed by her outburst, "Let me finish. Your father's right, I wouldn't do that. I thought that was too cruel. I know how much you girls love being with each other."

Lux calmed instantly, "so what is it then? What's our punishment?"

Her mother turned back around to continue cooking breakfast, "you and Ana are allowed to see each other, but only under our supervision. You can go over there and she's welcome to come over here, but only when we're home."

Lux was about to rebut once again but she caught her father's stern face, "that's more than fair Lux, and it's only for a week."

Lux knew he was right. It wasn't really all that big of a deal, but it bothered her that she was still being punished like a child. She knew if she voiced this however, her mother would only retort that she could stop acting like a child. It was futile to argue and so she gave in and said, "alright."

Lux quickly ate breakfast, then told her parents she was going over to see Ana. It was a Sunday, so Morpheus or Niobe or both were sure to be home. She promised her parents that if Ana was alone, they would come back here, and she would keep her promises from now on. Lux wondered how Ana would take the punishment news. She was a lot more headstrong than Lux, and would no doubt surely cause a fuss.

When Lux arrived at Ana's, she knocked on the door, this time Niobe answered. "Lux, good morning. I trust you talked to your mother already."

Lux nodded as she walked inside, "yeah, how's Ana taking it?"

Niobe suppressed a laugh, and took on an icy tone, "you know how defiant she is. There was yelling, throwing, and now she's locked herself in her room. You're welcome to go in, but I'm not sure that you want to. She's in quite a mood."

Lux laughed and said, "I think I can handle it. Am I allowed to stay over this afternoon?"

"Yes. Morpheus is out for the day, but I'll be home. I have some things to do later, but I knew you girls would want to see each other."

"Thanks Niobe," said Lux gratefully.

"No problem," replied Niobe, as she walked away.

Lux ventured down the hallway to Ana's bedroom, following the sounds of grumbling and thumping. Niobe wasn't exaggerating, Ana was in a state. Lux quietly knocked on the door, and Ana screamed, "leave me alone _mother_!"

"No," said Lux, "it's me."

Ana opened the door quickly, and moved aside for Lux to come in, a neutral expression on her face. Lux was afraid Ana might be angry at her for last night, but her fear faded with Ana enveloped her in a huge hug.

"I'm sorry for last night. Your parents aren't too upset with you are they? Are you feeling better? Oh, I should have kept an eye on you! I'm so sorry. I'm an awful friend!"

Ana sounded on the brink of tears, as she squeezed Lux. Lux was surprised, she had no idea that Ana would be so worried.

"No, you're not," said Lux in a soothing voice, "you're my best friend and nothing could change that."

Ana stepped back and sighed in relief. "Thank goodness!" She then turned and sat down on her bed, motioning for Lux to sit down beside her.

"So! Tell me about _Cody_," she emphasized his name in a dreamy voice.

Lux hadn't thought about him since last night. She felt the humiliation return to her gut, and was afraid she might get sick again.

"Oh god, I forgot! I don't know if I could face him again. Damn! I really liked him too."

Ana laughed and said, "hey, remember what he said! He knew you'd feel this way and said he didn't care, he wanted to see you again."

Lux vaguely remembered this conversation, and she felt her stomach relax a little. "You think he still wants to see me?"

"Oh course!" said Ana excitedly. "Mode told me that he was asking him about you. Mode said he sounded really interested."

Lux blushed and smiled, "he kissed me."

Ana threw her hand over her mouth in mock shock, "no way!"

Lux laughed, "yup, he did."

"Well, that settles that," she said, "you two are getting married."

Lux gasped and laughed again, "oh Ana, you dream too much."

Ana's comment reminded Lux of what she had said to Mode the night before in her drunken stupor, something about Mode asking Ana to marry him. Lux decided not to share this memory with Ana, lest she return Ana to an angry mood. Instead she asked her, "so what about you and Mode, are you two a couple now?"

Ana smiled, "yeah. Lux… he told me loved me last night!"

"Aw, I'm so happy for you guys. I always knew you'd end up together," replied Lux.

Ana sighed and stared off with a dreamy look on her face.

"So," said Lux, "what should we do today… in your room?"

Ana looked around her room, "not much I guess. We could give each other makeovers!?"

Lux laughed. They hadn't done that since they were kids. She felt foolish doing it now, but Ana looked so excited at the idea.

"Sure," replied Lux, "why not. It'll be just like old times."

The afternoon passed quickly and in no time, Niobe was knocking on Ana's door, inviting the girls to dinner. They came out and sat down beside each other at the table. Lux didn't really feel hungry after last night, but the smell of Niobe's cooking changed her mind. Niobe was an excellent cook. Morpheus had come home and was sitting opposite Lux and Ana.

"Well Lux, how are you feeling today?" he asked, a small smile on his face.

Lux looked down, embarrassed, "alright, thanks."

Ana giggled beside her, until she caught Niobe's eye, and she quickly cleared her throat.

"Looks great Mom," she said as Niobe placed a dish on the center of the table, and sat down herself.

The girls ate quickly, then Ana asked, "can we go to Lux's tonight after dinner? I'm so bored here."

Niobe looked at her without sympathy, "yes, but remember it's your own fault you're in this mess. You won't get any pity from me."

Ana ignored her mother's comment, as she grabbed her and Lux's plate and brought them to the sink. She then motioned for Lux to get up and follow her, and they rushed back to her room together.

"I need to get away from her. Ugh!" said Ana in exasperation.

Lux nodded, and waited for Ana to get changed, as she was still in her pajamas. Lux then followed Ana back out, thanking Niobe for dinner, before they left.

Once they were outside the door, Ana looked at Lux and asked quietly, "we'll go to your house, but can we stop by Mode's first?"

Lux knew how much Ana must have wanted to see him, but said, "Ana, If our parents found out, you know our punishment would just get worse. Don't test them, they're not as easily fooled as you think. What if your Mom calls mine, and says we're on our way over?"

Ana sighed in exasperation, but nodded her head, "you're right."

Lux looked at her and then smiled smugly, "what was that? I didn't catch it?"

Ana laughed and punched Lux playfully, "shut up! I said you were right, now let's go!"

The girls laughed their way to the other side of the building, enjoying their time outside, as they'd been stuffed up in Ana's room all day. Lux desperately wished this next week would pass quickly, she hated staying in all day, but seeing Ana was worth it.

When they got to Lux's apartment, Lux opened the door to see her mother standing there.

"I was waiting," she said in a stern voice, "Niobe said you'd be over, and I was worried you'd take the opportunity to take off."

Lux looked at Ana and said, "see, I told you."

Ana just shrugged and said, "Trinity, you know we wouldn't do that!" while Lux suppressed a laugh beside her.

"Mmhmm," said Trinity in a sarcastic voice, walking back to the kitchen.

"Hey!" Ana piped up, "Trinity, do you think as long as we stay here and you're here, we could invite a few people over?"

Trinity paused, and turned around to face the girls, "I don't know. That doesn't sound too much like punishment to me."

Ana put on her trademark puppy-dog face, and said in the sweetest voice that she could muster, "Pleeeease Trinity?"

Trinity sighed and said, "maybe for an hour or so. Perhaps we don't have to mention this to your mother."

Ana punched the air triumphantly, "you're the best!" and wheeled around to look at Lux, "I'm calling Mode, and I'm telling him to bring Cody."

Lux smiled, "oh! You're a genius!"

"Oh, what was that? I didn't catch it?" Ana teased.

Lux laughed and grabbed Ana's arm, dragging her over to the phone.

Ana picked it up and quickly dialed Mode's number.

"Hello, could I speak with Mode please?" she asked someone on the other side of the line.

There was a pause, then Ana said, "hey you, miss me? You want to come over to Lux's?"

There was another pause then Ana beamed at Lux. Lux guessed he had said yes to both questions.

Ana then asked, "do you think you could try to find Cody before you come over?"

There was a long pause again before Ana said, "great, see you then!" and hung up the phone.

She looked back at Lux and said, "he's going to go find Cody, then come over."

Lux felt elated, she couldn't wait to see Cody again. Suddenly she realized she needed to fix herself up again, she wasn't prepared to see him tonight. Ana read her thoughts and said, "come on, let's get ready."

They passed the kitchen and Trinity looked up from doing the dishes to ask, "when are the boys coming over?"

Ana stopped, "hey, how did you know?"

Trinity smiled and said, "I'm not as foolish as you girls might think."

The girls looked at each other and broke down in laughter, then headed for Lux's room. They promptly got changed, Ana borrowing some clothes from Lux. They were almost the same size, Lux being just a little smaller, so they did this often. They were just finishing each other's hair, when there was a knock on the door, not fifteen minutes since Ana hung up the phone.

"Wow, that was fast," said Lux, "Mode must really be desperate to see you."

Lux laughed, as Ana dodged past her quickly to run to the door. Lux slowly walked out of her room towards the door. She watched her mother go to open the door only to have Ana whip past her, to open it herself.

Ana opened the door to see Mode, a huge smile on his face. He was rather tall and broad and took up the whole doorway. Lux was afraid maybe Mode couldn't find Cody, or he had not wanted to come, but then Mode spoke up, seeing the look on Lux's face.

"I found Cody down at the docks working. He was pretty eager to come." Mode winked at Lux before moving aside to reveal Cody looked shyly back at Lux.

Ana led Mode towards the living room area where there were a few couches, while Cody still stood in the doorway. Lux's heart thudded in her chest, as she locked eyes with him, and walked towards the door.

"Come in," she said, and Cody smiled, walking in and closing the door behind him.

Just then Trinity walked towards them and Lux stepped back and said, "Cody, this is my mom, Trinity. Mom, this is Cody."

Cody had a huge smile on his face, and pratically jumped forward.

"It's great to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you, great things!" he said excitedly, holding out his hand.

Trinity blushed, which shocked Lux. Her mother, blushing? She then reached out her hand to shake Cody's and said, "it's nice to meet you too, Cody."

Cody asked, "Is Neo home too?"

Lux was surprised at his excitement, to her, her mom and dad were just that, her mom and dad. She sometimes forgot that they were almost a living legend.

"No," replied Trinity, "he's gone to a late meeting, but he'll be home later if you'd like to meet him."

She was smiling broadly at Cody, and Lux felt very happy and proud. Her mother obviously approved of him. Lux hoped her father would feel the same way.

Cody nodded, "alright, thanks. You have a very nice home."

Trinity smiled even wider, "thank you."

Trinity then turned to smile at Lux, and walked back to the kitchen. Lux looked back at Cody and laughed.

"What?" he asked, looking confused.

"You sure are popular with my Mom!" she replied, still laughing.

He blushed and looked down, then shyly moved closer whispering, "am I popular with you too?"

Lux blushed too, and answered, "yes, very."

They stayed like that for a few seconds, just keeping eye contact, until Ana said, "hey, I hate to break it up, but why don't you two sit down and join us?"

They smiled at each other more before walking over to sit side by side across from Ana and Mode.

"So?" asked Ana, "tell us about yourself Cody."

He sat back and put his arm around Lux.

"Well, let's see," he started, "I live with my older brother Jason. Our parents died in the war, right after I was born. My brother was only seven, so our mom's sister took care of us until my brother was seventeen, then I moved out with him. I work on the ships that dock in Zion. I do maintenance and reprogramming. I picked it up from my brother. We were both always interested in computers and engineering, and we both wanted to work on ships. I think its cause it makes us feel closer to our parents in a way."

Lux had no idea how sad it must have been to grow up without knowing your parents. She put a hand on Cody's when he said this, and smiled over at him. He looked back at her when she did that, and kissed her other hand. He then continued, looking back at Ana and Mode.

"I'm eighteen now, and just finished school last year. I pretty much spend all my time working, or at home reading. I love to read. I've probably read almost every book in Zion's library." He stopped then, and looked down a little embarrassed.

Ana spoke up next, "you sound just like Lux. She's probably read every book in there too."

Cody looked at Lux and asked, "really?"

Lux nodded, smiling.

"What's your favorite?" asked Cody.

Lux thought about it a minute, then said, "Romeo and Juliet."

Cody laughed and said, "ah, a romantic huh?"

Lux smiled sheepishly, blushing a little.

Cody smiled back and said, "...parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow."

It was a quote from the play. Lux felt her heart fill. That was one of her favorite lines, and he had actually memorized it.

Ana make a choking sound in the back of her throat and said, "my god. Sorry, but I think that stuff is such garbage."

Cody laughed and said, "I think a lot of people would agree with you."

Lux squeezed his hand and said, "I don't. I think it's beautiful."

Cody smiled and then kissed her slowly.

Ana coughed once more and then said, "alright, break it up."

Lux glared at Ana, then her attention was brought to Mode as he asked Cody, "have you ever thought of going on a mission?"

"Yeah, my brother does often. I mostly do the maintenance work, but actually just last week I got an offer to go on the Logos," replied Cody.

Mode beamed, "that's my ship! We're leaving again in a few weeks for another rescue mission. You should definitely come along. I could show you the ropes."

"Yeah, that'd be cool. Thanks." Cody smiled back.

Lux looked at Ana, as the color drained from her face. She knew how much Ana disliked when Mode left for his missions. They were generally very safe, since the war was over, but there was always a chance something could go wrong. The missions also lasted for sometimes up to two months. Lux felt her stomach turn as she thought of Cody leaving too. She's only known him a few days, but she already felt so attached. She wondered if he felt the same way, until he said, "I've often thought about going, as I really had nothing to lose."

He looked over at Lux, and continued, "but… now I'm not so sure."

Lux smiled back at him and said, "I'll still be here when you get back."

He smiled back and Mode said, "yeah, I know what you mean. The worst part is leaving Ana."

Lux looked at the two and smiled, then said, "hey! Last time I checked I was special too!"

They laughed and Mode said, "you are! You know I miss you too!"

Lux smiled and turned back to Cody. He was still staring at her, with an amazed look in his eyes.

They all stopped and looked up when the door opened and Neo walked in, "hey, I'm home. Oh, what's all this?" he asked when he saw the four of them sitting in the living room.

Lux was about to explain, when Cody shot up and practically ran over to Neo.

"Neo," he exclaimed, "Sir! It's so nice to meet you! I'm Cody. I've heard all about you, I've always wanted to meet you!"

Neo looked taken aback and gingerly shook Cody's outstretched hand, "Oh… uh, thanks. It's nice to meet you too." He looked down at Lux, then turned back to Cody, realization dawning on his face.

"Oh, you're Cody. Lux told me about you," Neo added, a smile on his face.

Lux looked down, embarrassed. Her father made is sound as if she'd been rambling on and on about him all day. Cody laughed and said, "oh yeah, Lux is great. You should know I have nothing but the best intentions."

Lux smiled at his formalness. Cody sure must think a lot of her parents.

Neo smiled back at him, and said, "I trust that you do."

Lux was grateful her father didn't give him a "if you hurt her, I'll hunt you down and kill you" lecture. She'd never really brought home a guy before, so she wasn't sure what her father's reaction would be. She was a little surprised by his pleasant behavior. Cody sat back down beside Lux, and Neo greeted Mode and Ana, before heading to the kitchen where Trinity was still doing some chores.

Lux had a thought and turned to look at Cody, who was still smiling where Neo had been standing.

"So," she said, "this better not be some plan you have just to get close to my parents."

Lux was mostly joking, but Cody looked at her with an expression of shock and seriousness.

"No, I swear! I really like you. It's just a coincidence really!"

Lux laughed and then he continued, "honestly, I thought when I met you you might be a little… I don't know… full of yourself."

Lux feigned a hurt look, and he quickly continued, "but you're not at all. You're completely amazing."

Lux smiled and kissed him once more. She paused then said, "good. I was just making sure."


	7. Chapter 7

I'm getting lots of hits, so I assume at least someone is reading it. If someone is, I hope you're enjoying it! Take the time to review if you can! Chapter seven, here it is!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

* * *

The rest of the evening passed quickly, as the four swapped stories, laughing all the while. 

Eventually, Trinity walked in apologizing for breaking up the party, but stating that it was late and the guests better go on home. Mode and Cody kissed Ana and Lux respectively, and exited together.

Before he left, Cody turned back to Trinity and said, "thanks for having us over. It was really great to meet you."

Trinity smiled warmly and said, "you too. You're welcome anytime you wish. Goodnight Cody."

She closed the door, as Ana asked, "do you think I could spend the night?"

"Well you two do have school tomorrow, but I suppose its alright" replied Trinity, "just call your mom and let her know, and remember," she put a finger to her lips, "not a word of this evening's events."

Ana laughed, and said, "of course! Thanks Trinity!"

Lux knew that Ana wanted to stay so that the two of them could talk all night long, gushing about their new boyfriends. She was actually hoping to do just this. She felt so happy, she was thrilled she could share it with Ana.

Ana quickly phoned her mom and hung up, smiling at Lux, confirming Niobe's approval.

"Come on, lend me some of your pajamas," said Ana, as they walked back to Lux's room together. Lux threw her some clothes, and they both got changed. Ana went to use the washroom, and Lux headed back to the kitchen, hoping to catch her mom still awake.

"Hey," said Lux when she spotted her mother at the table, "so do you like him?"

Trinity smiled and said, "yes I do. He seems very sweet, and he's quite handsome too."

Lux smiled and sat down. "I really like him."

"I can tell," replied Trinity, "you look at each other the way your father and I used to."

"Do you think Dad likes him too?" asked Lux.

"Yeah, I think so. He's a little wary, but you know how he is with you. He wants you to be his little girl forever," replied Trinity.

Ana walked into the kitchen just then and said, "Hey! Got any ice cream?"

Trinity laughed and said, "I think so, check the freezer."

Ana walked over and opened it up, "yeah!"

She pulled out the box and grabbed two spoons, before tugging on Lux's shirt, "let's go! Girl talk time!"

Lux laughed and looked back at her mom before saying, "goodnight Mom, love you."

Trinity smiled and said, "I love you too sweetheart. I'll wake you girls up tomorrow for breakfast. Don't stay up too late."

Lux nodded and headed after Ana into her room. She quietly closed the door, sitting down on her bed facing Ana, who was leaning against the foot of her bed, digging into the ice cream.

Ana spent the next hour asking Lux every question imaginable, from how she met Cody (she loved that story, almost spitting out ice cream), to how many kids she planned on having with him.

Ana then shifted the conversation to a more serious question, "what if they go on a mission together, and something happens?"

Lux had thought about this too, when the two boys had brought up the subject earlier.

"I don't know" she replied, "I sure hope it never comes to that, but if it does, at least we'll have each other."

Ana smiled. "Yeah," she said with tears in her eyes, "we will."

Morning came early, well earlier than the girls would have hoped. They stayed up for hours, not realizing how fast dawn was approaching. Lux faintly heard knocking, but her eyes felt too heavy to open. She was hoping that if she just ignored it, it would go away. She heard her door open and footsteps towards her bed, then a hand reach out and gently nudge her shoulder. The jig was up, and she could no longer feign sleep. She sat up slowly, her mother's face coming into focus.

"You girls stayed up too late I'm guessing," she said smiling, "come on, wake up sleeping beauty over there and get dressed for breakfast."

Ana was laying beside her, snoring quietly, her legs spread out on top of Lux's. Lux loved Ana, but sleeping beside her wasn't always very pleasant, as Ana loved to stretch out and sometimes even kick in her sleep. Trinity walked out of her room, and Lux reached over to wake up Ana. Ana make some indecipherable noises then slowly opened her eyes. Realizing where she was, she yawned loudly, and looked over at Lux.

"Is it morning already? God damnit," she said in a heavy voice.

Lux laughed and crawled out of bed, throwing her pillow at Ana, causing Ana to grumble in annoyance, and throw it back at Lux. Ana got up and followed Lux as she walked out into the kitchen, sitting down at the table, opposite Neo and Trinity.

"Good morning girls," said Neo, through bites of breakfast, "did you have fun last night?"

"Yup," both girls said in unison, scooping eggs onto their plates. They ate quickly, and took turns having a shower before getting dressed. They rushed out of the apartment, and walked briskly toward their school, only stopping when Ana tripped over a rock, still trudging along sleepily.

"Remind me not to stay up so late tonight," she said, getting up and checking for cuts.

The school was a large building in the center of Zion. Zion was now a fast growing city, and the building was being added onto almost every year. Currently, about six hundred kids attended the school, from about age seven to seventeen. Lux enjoyed school, but was excited to be finishing up her last year. She wanted to work as a restorer, fixing up artifacts like paintings, books, and sculptures that were found on the surface missions. She loved art and everything to do with art. At school they mostly studied mathematics, computers, engineering, and reading, but art was not a major focus.

The day was long and boring. Lux sat beside Ana in the class, and they often wrote notes to each other when the teacher wasn't paying attention. They'd run out of things to write at about eleven, and luckily they only had an hour left. Lux had heard her parents tell her about school in the Matrix. They had gone for almost eight hours a day. Lux couldn't believe that, she thought that the four hours she had to go for were almost unbearable.

When noon came, the whole class let out a sigh, and rushed out of the classroom as quickly as possible, ignoring the teacher's protests that he wasn't quite finished his lecture.

Once outside, Ana grabbed Lux's arm and pointed ahead of her. Lux searched through the sea of people to try to find what she was pointing to. It was Mode. He was walking towards them, waving. Lux waved back, as Ana took off running to meet him. They embraced and kissed, and Lux took her time walking up to join them.

"How was school?" Mode asked them.

"Ah, boring as usual," replied Ana, now standing back beside Lux. "The three of us should go do something."

Mode nodded, "yeah that's what I was thinking."

"I don't think so, remember our punishment?" said Lux, looking at Ana, "we're not allowed to hang out together unless our parents are around."

"Damn," said Ana, as she slapped a hand to her forehead remembering. "I hate this!" she exclaimed in anger. "Well, we can't hang out together, but we could hang out separately."

Lux looked at her confused.

"Do you think Cody's working down at the docks right now?" Ana asked Mode.

"Yeah he is, I just saw him on my way back," he replied.

"There you go," said Ana, "Mode and I will hang out, and you can go see Cody. You and I can catch up later. Don't worry I'll tell your mom where you are."

Lux had to admit, she wanted to see Cody again, but she wasn't sure it was such a good time.

"I don't want to bother him if he's working though," she said, voicing her concern.

"Ah, I wouldn't worry about it," said Mode, "if he's anything like me, he won't mind." Mode looked down at Ana and smiled.

"Alright," said Lux, walking off to the docks, "I'll see you guys later. Have fun!"

"You too!" they yelled, walking off back towards the apartments, holding hands.

When Lux reached the docks, she saw that a huge number of ships were being worked on. There must have been close to fifty. She had no idea there were so many, and she started to worry she might not be able to find Cody. She walked through a few areas, glancing at the men working on the ships, recognizing some faces as friends of her parents and waving. She spotted Link, an old shipmate of her parents, and walked over to where he was working.

"Hey there Lux," he greeted when he saw her, "how's it going? What are you doing down here? Not looking for Mode I hope, he just left."

"Oh no, I was actually looking for someone else. Do you know someone named Cody who works down here?"

"Cody? sure do!," he replied, "he's just on the other side of the ship. I was actually just about to send him home, you can let him know."

Lux felt relieved, not only to find Cody, but also to know she wouldn't be interfering with his work. She quickly thanked Link, and walked to the other side of the ship. She spotted Cody, working on fixing an outside panel of the ship. His clothes and his face were both stained with oil smudges, and Lux thought he looked quite adorable. She walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder, startling him. He jumped and turned around facing Lux.

"Hey there," she said smiling, "I thought I'd come by to see you."

"Hey," he beamed back at her, "I'm glad you did."

"Link told me you were back here. He said to let you know you were done for the day," said Lux.

"Awesome," said Cody, putting his tools into a pouch and slinging it over his shoulder, "sorry I'm so dirty, I'll shower quickly when we get to my place."

"Oh, okay," replied Lux, realizing he had just invited her over.

They said goodbye to Link, and headed towards the other side of Zion. Cody lived down in one of first apartment centers built in Zion. The ones Lux and Ana lived in were relatively new and were harder to get into. It was a bit of a walk, but Lux didn't mind, she barely noticed as she was focused on Cody. He was talking about the new ships they were building, and how much better they would run and how much more improved the engineering was. Lux wasn't all that interested in engineering, but Cody made it sound quite fascinating. She told him so and he laughed, saying he didn't believe her.

When they reached his apartment, he opened the door, and held it open for her to walk in first. She stepped inside and noticed how different it looked than her own apartment. It was old and the metal was rusting in some areas. There were a few drips, and some leaky pipes lining the walls.

Cody walked in behind her and said, "I know it's not much, but it's good enough for us."

Lux turned around to face him and smiled, "it's great."

Cody looked up at someone behind her and said, "hey Jason, you remember Lux right?" Lux turned around to see the older gentlemen from the restaurant. He looked at her for a moment then smiled.

"Lux! Of course! The beautiful waitress! How on earth did my little brother manage to get you to our apartment?"

Lux laughed and was about to answer when Cody said, "I'll have you know,_ big brother_, that I am quite capable of charming any girl!"

Jason laughed as he bent down to put on his shoes. He stood back up and looked at Lux as he said, "don't mind him honey, he always acts like a fool around pretty girls."

Lux smiled and blushed, as Jason winked at her and walked past, yelling back, "I'll be home for dinner," and closed the door behind him.

"So," said Cody, "can I get you anything?"

"I am kind of hungry," replied Lux.

"I am too, what would you like?" he asked, kicking off his boots and walking into the kitchen, motioning for Lux to sit down.

"I'm not particular," replied Lux, taking a seat at the table.

Cody smiled and said, "hmm… how about pasta? That's about the only thing I can make without starting a fire."

Lux laughed and said, "pasta sounds great."

Cody grabbed a pot and some noodles out of the cupboard. He asked Lux about school, while he finished cooking. Once he sat down and got them both a plate of pasta, Lux asked him, "so, do you think you'll go on the next mission with Mode?"

Lux had wanted to ask him this since she first saw him working on the Logos with Link.

He swallowed a mouthful of pasta and looked at her skeptically, "you don't want me to go do you?"

Lux looked down. Damn, she thought, he saw right through her. She shrugged her shoulder and answered, "well I don't know… it sounds like a good opportunity, and if you wanted to I'd never stop you, but no I guess not."

He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. He looked down and started to say something but stopped. Lux noticed and said, "go ahead."

He looked back up at her and said, "I've only known you for a few days, but it's like... I dunno, I already feel so attached to you. I hope that doesn't freak you out or anything."

Lux smiled, "no of course not. I actually feel the same way, but I didn't think you did, so I didn't say anything."

He smiled back at her and dropped her hand to continue eating. Lux continued eating, but stopped and put her fork down when a thought ran through her head.

"I think you should go," she said, "If you want to go, then you should go. Don't let me stop you, I'd only feel guilty."

Cody smiled and said, "I have a few weeks to decide yet. I'll see how I feel when the time comes."

Lux felt better having voiced her thoughts, and realized how easy it was with him. She felt so comfortable with Cody already. She remembered herself nervous and fumbling the first night she met him, and smiled to herself, thinking of how different things were already.

When she finished, Cody took their plates and washed them quickly. He showed Lux to his room, and said she was welcome to look around while he took a shower. His room was bare, except for a bed in the corner, a closet with some clothes, and a desk against the wall, covered in books and computer parts. Lux walked over to his desk, and looked through the books lying haphazardly against each other. She picked up one titled, "Poetry Selections." Lux looked at it curiously, she had never seen it before, which was odd since she'd read every book in Zion, or so she'd thought. She sat down on the bed, and opened up the book, gazing at the contents. It had famous poems by a lot of authors that Lux recognized, Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, E.E. Cummings.

She read the one by E.E. Cummings:

_since feeling is first  
who pays any attention  
to the syntax of things  
will never wholly kiss you;  
wholly to be a fool  
while Spring is in the world _

my blood approves,  
and kisses are a better fate  
than wisdom  
lady i swear by all flowers. Don't cry  
—the best gesture of my brain is less than  
your eyelids' flutter which says

we are for each other: then  
laugh, leaning back in my arms  
for life's not a paragraph

And death i think is no parenthesis 

Lux smiled to herself. She really liked this poem, it reminded her of other ones she'd read about love. Just as she was through reading it a second time, she heard a sound at the door. Cody was standing there, clean now, and shirtless. Lux swallowed and felt something inside her twist. He was standing just a few feet front her, half naked. He walked over and sat on the bed, looking at the book in Lux's lap. Lux was suddenly aware of just how smooth his skin looked and how soft his hair seemed, still glistening with drops of water. He leaned over and took the book from her.

"This was my parents' book," said Cody, sadness evident in his voice, "Jason found it in their room after they died, and gave it to me. I've read every poem over and over. It's my favorite thing to read before I go to sleep."

Lux was launched out of her daydream when he said this, and grabbed his hand, hoping to comfort him.

Cody closed the book and placed it on the floor beside his bed. He noticed he was shirtless and looked down, then back at Lux.

"Sorry," he said, blushing, "let me find a shirt."

"No," said Lux, in a voice that sounded totally unlike her own, a quiet whispering voice, "don't."

He turned to face her and swallowed, just as Lux had only moments earlier. Lux guessed he was just as nervous as she was. She put her hand on his thigh lightly, giving him her approval. He put his hand up and cupped her face.

You're so beautiful," he spoke so quietly, she could barely hear him.

She blushed and smiled into his hand, and then his lips were on hers. She felt her breath being sucked away, and then relaxed against his lips. Unlike their other kisses, this one felt more urgent. She opened her mouth slowly, and his tongue found its way to hers. She felt her whole body heat up, and she reached her hands up around his neck. He followed suit and put his hands down on her hips, never breaking the kiss.

She felt him slowly push her back down onto his bed, and she complied, letting him rest on top of her, still kissing passionately. Her hands moved up to his hair, and she felt it wet her hands. She slowly moved them down his neck, the water making his skin cold and damp. She moved slightly and he pulled back momentarily, afraid he'd gone too far and maybe scared her. She pulled his head back however, and kissed him hard. He moaned into her mouth, and she felt her entire body respond, an urge growing deep inside her. She began to breathe heavily, and almost gasped when his hand moved over her stomach and brushed past her breast.

A loud clanging noise forced them to jump apart, as they realized someone had opened the front door. They heard Jason yell from the kitchen, "Hey, I'm home early!"

Cody looked down at her, still half lying on her and breathing heavily. Lux sat up and smoothed down her hair, trying to regain her composure. He looked down at his feet and said in a shameful voice, "sorry, I guess I got kind of carried away."

Lux turned to look at him, feeling her own insecurities drain away at the sad look on his face.

"Don't be," she said, "that was amazing."

He blushed deeply and smiled back at her, "yeah, it was."

Jason yelled again, "are you guys having sex in there or what?"

Cody laughed nervously and walked over to his closet, getting out a shirt. He walked back over to Lux, who was now standing up, and kissed her gently.

He then grabbed her hand and led her back out into the kitchen.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight! TaDaa! I hope you enjoy it, though it is a little sad.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

* * *

Lux had waited all week for this day. Today was Saturday, and it was the official day that her and Ana's punishment ended. She and Ana had planned to spend today together with Mode and Cody. Finally the four of them could hang out once again. Lux usually worked on Saturdays, but she had convinced Maya, another waitress at the restaurant, to work her shift for her. 

Lux had seen Cody only once since she went to his house. She and Ana had visited him after school on Wednesday when he was working. It had been a brief meeting, but she'd appreciated it all the same. The rest of the week she had been bogged down with last minute homework assignments, and Cody had to work late, getting the ship ready for its next mission. Between the two of them, they had no time to spend together, until today.

Lux practically jumped out of bed, though it was still early. She had a quick shower, and got dressed. She decided to wear her black pants and a blue sweater. She walked into the kitchen and was greeted by her parents.

"I was expecting you up early. I'm sure you have big plans for today," said Trinity smiling at Lux across the table. "So what are you and Ana going to do?" she asked.

Lux smiled and tried to talk through mouthfuls of breakfast, "w-w-re go-in…"

"Lux, swallow," said her father, looking at her and laughing.

She swallowed and continued, "sorry… we're going to spend the day with Mode and Cody."

"Doing what exactly?" asked Neo.

Lux rolled her eyes and said dramatically, "I don't _know_ yet, does it matter?"

Neo looked at Trinity and shook his head, making Trinity laugh.

Suddenly, there was an urgent knock at the door.

"Who would that be?" asked Trinity, looking at Neo. Neo shrugged his shoulders, and continued eating. Lux jumped up and ran to the door. She opened it and almost fell over, as Ana jumped on her.

"Finally!" she yelled, squeezing Lux, "are you ready yet?! Let's go!"

Lux stepped back and grabbed Ana's shoulders, saying, "breathe Ana! It's only nine o'clock. We have all day!"

Ana grumbled impatiently, as Lux closed the door and escorted her into the kitchen. Ana sat down while Lux finished breakfast, making small talk with Trinity. When Lux finished, Ana grabbed her and said, "finally! Let's go already!"

Lux rolled her eyes, and thanked her mom for breakfast before dashing out of the house trying to keep up with Ana.

"Why the rush?" Lux asked once they were outside. Ana stopped and let Lux catch up before saying, "I told Mode we'd meet him at his place." It didn't really answer Lux's question, but she just let it go, following Ana down the stairs, towards Mode's building.

Once there, Ana knocked impatiently and tapped her foot until it opened, and Mode stepped out. "When you said nine thirty, I thought it was just a joke. Why are we meeting so early on a Saturday anyway?"

Ana ignored Mode's question completely, leaning up to kiss him.

"Hi Lux," he said, when he noticed her standing behind Ana.

"Hi Mode," Lux replied.

"So where does Cody live? Is it far?" asked Ana, impatience still in her voice.

"He lives on the other side of the city, in the old buildings," answered Lux, waiting for Ana to groan in frustration.

Sure enough, she did just that, stomping her foot. "Why!?" she almost yelled, "why does he live so far away?!"

"Okay, that's it!" said Lux, "tell me now, why are you in such a rush?"

Ana walked a few steps, then stopped, keeping her head down.

"If you must know," she said in a small voice, "I have a surprise for you guys."

Lux knew something was up. She knew Ana so well, she knew she was lying. Mode however, didn't seem fazed and said, "cool! What is it?"

Ana turned back around, with a smile on her face. "Follow me and you'll see," she said in a more confident voice.

Lux eyed her warily, but ran after her when she started walking, Mode following close behind.

They walked briskly, Ana leading the way. When they reached the building, Ana let Lux go ahead and lead the way to the right apartment.

"He knows we're coming right?" asked Ana.

"Yeah, I told him on Wednesday, but he might not be ready this early," replied Lux, hoping once again that Ana might feel the need to explain herself. But instead she just shrugged, "well, he better get ready fast."

Lux stopped in front of the door she recognized, and knocked a couple times. Almost a full minute later, Jason answered the door, looking like he'd just woken up.

"Hey Jason, sorry we're so early. Is Cody up yet?" asked Lux apologetically.

"Yeah, come on in," he yawned as he opened up the door.

Jason quickly knocked on Cody's door, then went straight back into his room, closing the door. Lux guessed he was going back to sleep, and felt guilty again for waking him. She looked over at Ana, hoping she noticed too and felt bad, but Ana was just eyeing the place skeptically, turning her nose up at the leaking pipes and creaking metal.

A moment later, Cody emerged from his room. He was fully dressed, but he still looked rather tired.

"Sorry we're so early," said Lux, "Ana was a bit… impatient."

"That's alright," said Cody, walking up and kissing her, "I haven't seen you in a while, so all the more time I can spend with you."

Ana's voice rang out through the room, "alright, hello Cody, nice to see you again, let's move it along now!" she said quickly, and ushered them out of the apartment.

Cody laughed, "my, you are impatient! What's the rush?"

"It's a surprise," Mode and Lux answered in unison, as they walked back along the hallway of the building, and down the stairs outside. Cody laughed, and followed behind them.

Ana told them to follow her and they did so diligently. They walked down street after street, Lux getting more impatient by the minute. After almost an hour, Lux stopped and said in a frustrated voice, "Ana, the jig is up, I know we're not going anywhere other than the edge of town, and I know there is no surprise. What's going on?"

Ana froze, but didn't turn around. She looked around nervously, and stopped when her eye caught a small café just down the road.

"Let's go in here," she said her voice shaking now, "I promise I'll tell you guys in there."

Mode, Cody, and Lux all looked at each other, before following her over and walking inside. They sat down at a small booth in the corner, and waited for Ana to speak, as the waitress brought them all some water.

"What could I get for you guys?" asked the waitress, eyeing Ana suspiciously, as she was nervously fidgeting in her seat.

"We're okay right now," I told her, "thanks."

The waitress looked at us for a few seconds, then shrugged and walked away, obviously a little confused. Lux noticed Ana had gone completely pale, and she looked like she was going to be sick. Now she was really worried. She looked at Mode and Cody who were also looking at Ana with worry.

"Excuse us you guys," Lux said, getting up and pulling Ana to her feet. She led Ana through the café and into the washroom. She closed the door behind them, and locked it, leaning Ana against the wall and stepping back, giving her room to breathe.

"Ana," she said in a concerned voice, "you're beginning to scare me. Please tell me what's wrong."

Ana looked up at her and took a deep breathe. She closed her eyes and laid her head back against the wall.

"Lux, I heard my parents talking this morning," she started in a voice barely more than a whisper, "the Logos is going on a rescue mission that leaves tomorrow morning. My dad is on the board you know, and they had a meeting yesterday about a problem they're having with unplugging people. Something on the surface is killing people before any of the ships have a chance to rescue them. They don't know what is it, but it's definitely something. The mission is going to be dangerous. Link was the first captain who volunteered and he's taking the Logos, which means that Mode is going too."

Ana swallowed and looked down at the floor, her eyes still closed, "Lux… my father said Link is going to ask Cody to go with them. They want his help on the ship."

At this last statement, Lux felt her stomach knot, and she now completely understood why Ana had been acting this way all morning.

Tears slid down Ana's face as she looked up at Lux, "Lux... what if they don't come back?"

Lux took a deep breathe and walked forwards, gripping Ana in a hug. She took a few moments to calm down, then pulled back, looking Ana in the eye.

"What did you think, that if you ran them out of town, they wouldn't have to go?"

Ana laughed a little at this, then sobered up and said, "I just… I don't know what I thought. I just sort of panicked."

Lux knew how she felt, but she also realized how ridiculous the situation was. "They're going to find out sooner or later," said Lux in an even voice, "you may as well tell them now, because you sure as hell can't hide it anymore."

Ana nodded and said, "I know," through her sobs.

Looking at her face, Lux suddenly had a thought. She had been so focused on calming Ana down, she hadn't stopped to really think about the situation. She may never see Cody again. They only had one day left. Suddenly getting up at nine didn't seem so crazy anymore, and Lux wished they'd gotten up at six. Lux felt her throat burn as she looked down at Ana who was crying freely now. She knew they couldn't hide in the bathroom all day, but Lux really didn't want to have to face them. Being in the bathroom with Ana felt like the safest place. It took at all her strength not to just break down and stay right where she was.

She hugged Ana one last time before saying, "come on, let's go back out. They're going to think we crawled out the window, and left them here."

Ana made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a choke, and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, nodding. Lux opened the door and led the way out, back into the café towards the booth. Mode and Cody looked up as the girls approached, and were shocked to see them both with bloodshot eyes and flushed faces.

"Okay, now you're really freaking me out" said Mode, fear in his voice, "one of you better tell me what's going on."

Lux looked up, trying her best to sound calm, "there's a problem on the surface, and the Logos is leaving tomorrow to try to help. Link wants Cody to go too. It sounds really dangerous, but necessary."

When she finished, both boys had blank, unreadable expressions on their face.

Mode was staring at Lux, "What does that mean? How do you know this?" he asked, almost angrily.

"I don't know any more than that Mode. Ana heard her dad talking about the meeting they had about it yesterday," replied Lux, with sadness in her voice. She felt like all the hope had been sucked out of her. Just yesterday, she had been so happy. Why did this have to happen now?

Ana was sobbing quietly beside Mode, and without saying a word, he turned and hugged her tightly.

Lux looked at Cody, and grabbed his hand. He turned and looked back at her, then said, "I know you don't want me to go. I really don't want to leave you, but…"

Lux sighed, and said, "I know you have to go."

Cody nodded slowly and looked back down.

Mode suddenly looked up at the three of them and said, "let's go down to the dock. I know my dad is working today, and I have to hear this for myself."

They walked back across town, and looked around for Link when they reached the docks. Most of the crews weren't there, because it was a Saturday, and Link was working on the Logos by himself when the four came over. He stood up when they approached and by the look in his eyes, Lux already knew that Ana had heard right.

"Your mother and I were wondering where you were this morning," said Link when he saw Mode, "we have to leave tomorrow for an important mission."

"I know," said Mode disappointingly, "Ana told me."

Link looked at Ana and she explained, "I heard my Dad talking about it."

Link nodded and looked over at Cody.

"Cody, I was hoping you'd join us," Link continued, "We could really use your help on the ship."

Cody nodded and said, "of course. I'll come."

Link smiled gratefully, "thanks a lot."

"What's going on? Why do we have to leave so soon?" asked Mode, his voice urgent and worried.

"We're not sure exactly. We think maybe some machines managed to survive, and are now trying to destroy our progress, attempting to repair the Matrix," Link answered.

Lux felt Cody's hand squeeze hers, and looked up to see him looking at her with worry in his eyes.

Mode was silent and Link then spotted Ana's silent tears and said more cheerfully, "don't worry. I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle, I wouldn't have offered to go otherwise. We'll be back in no time."

Lux nodded and simply said, "I hope so."

Link bade them goodbye, saying he had to get back to work, and they should enjoy the rest of their day. They walked back to Cody's since it was the closest place, and spent the rest of the afternoon just talking, about anything except the mission.

Mode was talking about something that happened to him on the ship, when Lux's mind began to wander. She thought of Cody on the Logos, fighting machines with Mode and Link. She could picture something happening to the ship, and Cody being thrown around. She saw Cody hurt, dying, and her being somewhere else here in Zion, completely unaware, and completely helpless.

Lux felt the familiar burn in her throat, and tried to hide her face as Mode spoke animatedly about something, oblivious to her struggle.

Cody felt her weight shift beside him, and looked to see her crying into her arm. Mode was looking at Ana so he didn't notice, as Cody reached down and lifted Lux's face to meet his. He wiped away her tears with his thumb and hugged her fiercely. Lux felt him holding onto her, harder than he ever had before.

She suddenly felt the urge to be close to him, alone, just him and her. She wished they could just disappear together. She felt disappointed as he pulled away and sat back, putting his arm around her, pulling him into her like she remembered him doing the first night they met. They sat back in the chair, and listened to the rest of Mode's story.

Lux was still thinking about Cody though, and how she needed to get him alone sometime tonight. She needed to show him how much he meant to her, how much she'd miss him, and just how much he needed to come back to her.

After dinner (Cody made pasta again), Ana and Mode were about to leave when Lux pulled Ana aside.

"Could you do me a huge favor?" asked Lux desperately.

"Sure, what is it?" asked Ana.

"If I call my Mom and tell her I'm spending the night with you, could you cover for me? I don't even care if she finds out later, I just want to be with Cody tonight," replied Lux, hoping Ana would sense how desperate she was.

Ana nodded, then said, "just don't… you know. I mean I don't want to tell you what to do but, I think it's a little soon."

Lux laughed lightly, "don't worry. I just want to be with him, that's all."

Ana smiled and nodded, "don't worry. I got your back."

Lux hugged her, and said with sincerity, "thank you so much. You're the best friend in the whole world."

Ana laughed and said, "yeah, don't I know it!"

She walked back over to Mode and said, "come on, let's go."

They left Cody and Lux standing in the living room. Lux turned to face him suddenly felt just as nervous as she did the first night she met him. She looked down at her feet and asked in a soft voice, "do you think I could stay with you tonight?"

Cody just stood on the spot, and Lux was worried she may have been too bold. He walked up to her until he was just inches away, and said, "I was hoping you would."

Lux let out a breath of relief, and smiled, kissing him quickly.

He suddenly looked alarmed and said, "what about your parents? I mean, I don't really want 'the One' to be hunting me down anytime soon."

Lux laughed and said, "don't worry. I got it covered. I asked Ana to cover for me. I just have to call my Mom and tell her I'm staying with Ana. It's a lie, but… I know she'll understand later."

Cody sighed and said, "I don't want you to lie, but I also don't want you to leave."

"Well," said Lux, "you have five seconds to make up your mind."

Lux leaned in and kissed him passionately, sliding her hand under his shirt, and over his bare chest. She pulled back slowly, and looked him in the eye.

He swallowed and said, "call her."

Lux smiled and went to grab the phone.

She picked it up and quickly dialed the number. When she heard her mother's voice answer she said, "hey Mom, would it be alright if I stayed at Ana's tonight?"

Her mother hesitated and said, "I heard about the Logos leaving tomorrow."

Shit, thought Lux. "Oh yeah, Ana's upset about Mode leaving. I figured I should stay with her tonight."

"I heard Cody is leaving too," replied her mother, with an even tone.

Lux swallowed, "yeah, he is." Lux looked over at Cody who was now standing just in front of her as she said, "I'm really going to miss him."

There was a brief pause and then her mother said, "Lux, just be carful."

Lux closed her eyes. She should have known she couldn't lie to her mother.

"I will Mom," replied Lux, "thank you." She knew her mother would understand what the thank you was for.

"I love you Lux," said her mother.

"I love you too Mom, I'll be home tomorrow morning," replied Lux, "goodnight."

Lux hung up the phone and walked over to hug Cody. He looked at her curiously, and asked, "So?"

"She guessed it was a lie, but she's okay with it," said Lux.

Cody took a sharp intake of air.

"Don't worry," said Lux laughing, "she won't tell my dad."

Cody released his breath and then grabbed Lux, kissing her fiercely. Lux didn't want to pull back, but she needed to ask him something.

"Cody," she said, "what about your brother?"

"Oh, don't worry," said Cody, "he goes out to the bar every Saturday night. By the time he gets home he's so liquored up he can barely walk."

Lux laughed, thinking of Jason stumbling around. He was already so foolish.

"So," said Cody, snapping her out of her musings, "we have all night to ourselves, what are we possibly going to do?"

"Hmm," said Lux, tugging on his shirt playfully, "I have one idea."


	9. Chapter 9

There's a particularly smutty scene in this chapter, but its rated M so it's not like I didn't warn you. Thanks to those who reviewed! This one's for you!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

* * *

Lux leaned over and kissed Cody as he kissed her back and whispered in her ear, "and what idea is that?" 

Lux laughed softly and said, "you'll see. First though… could I take a quick shower?"

Cody looked at her curiously, then said, "yeah, sure. Follow me."

After he showed her to the bathroom and handed her a clean towel to use, Lux thanked him and closed the door behind him. She took a deep breathe, leaning her forehead against the door quietly. It wasn't so much that Lux felt she needed a shower, even though she had done an enormous amount of walking today thanks to Ana, but she needed some time to think by herself.

Lux quickly undressed and got into the shower. She gasped as she turned on the faucet and ice cold water shot her in the face. She forgot to let the water run and let it warm up before she got it.

She suppressed a cry, as she impatiently waited for the water to heat up. Once it had done so, she relaxed and turned her back to the faucet, water streaming down through her hair and over her face. It was almost scalding hot, just the way she liked it. She loved how raw her skin felt afterwards. Cold water just didn't have the same effect.

She hadn't really allowed herself much time to think about Cody leaving since Ana had told her that morning, and she needed to just let some of her restrained emotion out. She cried freely, trying to be silent, and let her tears mingle with the hot water. She felt alone and vulnerable, despite the fact that three other people were going through this with her.

She didn't regret choosing to spend the night with Cody, but realized exactly what it meant. She hadn't talked about it with him. Would he expect her to have sex with him? She didn't think he would, so soon, but suddenly she heard doubt ring out in her mind. Maybe he would. She definitely wasn't ready for that. They both weren't ready for that.

She began to feel very foolish and immature. The last time she was with Cody in his room, they had gone father than she had ever gone with a guy before. Her insecurities were replaced with fear once again. What if she had the chance to be with him tonight and she turned it down, then something happened to him? The thought caused her stomach to tense.

She felt nervous and anxious, and an odd sensation rippled through her body. She started to feel very overwhelmed, and her breathing became heavy and fast. She panicked, quickly turning off the shower and stepping out into the bathroom that had already managed to steam up. It was small and rather dark, even with the artificial light, and she felt claustrophobic, which wasn't helping her calm down. She grabbed the towel Cody had given her to use and wrapped it around her. She dropped her weight to the floor, and knelt with her head down, trying to steady her breaths.

Visions of Cody flashed in her mind, much like the ones that had run through her mind earlier. More than this, she thought of Mode, and even Link, trapped under machinery, crying out for help. She thought of Ana too, devastated as she heard the news of Mode's death.

Lux knew she was overreacting. They hadn't even left yet. Link was a trained and successful captain, and Mode was very experienced. Even Cody was a genius with technology, and she was sure he could handle himself in any situation. Still, she knew that while they were gone she'd wait for the news to arrive that their ship had gone down.

Lux turned her attention to her shaking hands, and noticed how heavy her head felt. She was exhausted and anxious all at once. She got up to her feet shakily and felt her head spin, blurring the already cloudy room. She reached for the door knob and turned it roughly, opening the door and stumbling out, desperate for air that wasn't full of heat and steam. She walked a few feet and felt her legs giving out.

"C-cody!" she tried to call out desperately, but her voice was just a small squeak in her throat. She couldn't hold open her eyes any longer and gave into the darkness, this time hitting the floor hard when she fell.

When Lux opened her eyes, she looked up to see a dark metal ceiling. It took her a few seconds to remember that she was still in Cody's apartment. She heard a noise beside her just a few feet away and looked in the direction. Cody sitting in his desk chair, and he leaned forward with his eyes wide when she looked over.

"I don't know what happened. I heard you fall and found you on the floor. You've only been out a few minutes," he said in a small scared voice.

He continued, "I should have gone to get someone, but I didn't think you'd want anyone to know you were here and… I'm just so glad you woke up."

He covered his mouth with his hand and quickly swallowed. He looked like he might break down in tears, which scared Lux more than her panic attack had.

Lux sat up slowly, her head aching slightly, and she realized she must have hit it pretty hard.

"I was in the shower and I panicked. I tried to call you, but I didn't make it," said Lux, pausing a little between sentences, remembering what happened.

Cody nodded slowly, and said, his voice still strained, "why did you panic?"

Lux said nothing, just looked at herself, realizing she was still just in a towel. He noticed her do this and said, "I just picked you up and brought you in here. I can go get your clothes for you."

He stood and walked out of the room, leaving Lux to go over what had happened once again in her head. She had never had a panic attack before. She had been so scared, and felt relieved that it was over. She probably shouldn't have tried to be alone when she felt like she did.

Cody walked back into the room and handed her the clothes.

"I'll leave you alone so you can get changed, just call me if you need me."

He walked back out, and closed the door. Lux could tell he was still standing just outside, probably listening to make sure she didn't pass out again. Lux felt guilt and deep affection flood into her heart. He realized just how much he must care for her.

Lux moved so she was sitting at the edge of his bed and took off the towel. She put her clothes back on and used the towel to finish drying off her hair, and combed it through with her fingers quickly.

She felt fine now, and got up to open the door herself. Cody had been sitting on the floor, leaning against the door, and fell into the room when Lux opened it quickly. She laughed as he fell into the room clumsily. He looked up at her from the floor and smiled when she laughed.

"Hey," he said, still looking up at her from his back, "do you feel a little better?"

"Much," she replied, helping him up.

Before she knew what happened, Cody had enveloped her in a huge hug, his face buried into her neck. She relaxed against him and just let him hold her like that for a few minutes.

"I'm fine now," she whispered, "don't worry."

He pulled back and looked at her, the same look as before, his eyes heavy with emotion. He said nothing for a few seconds, and then repeated his earlier unanswered question.

"Why did you panic?"

Lux sighed and looked around the room, walking towards the bed, and sitting down. She looked up and saw him still standing in the doorway, as if afraid that if he moved she may not answer him.

"About you leaving tomorrow," she said in a rather shy voice, "I know you'll probably be fine, but…"

She didn't have to finish because he had run across the run and kissed her before she even realized he had moved. He kissed her urgently, forcing her mouth open with his tongue and pushing her back onto the bed, more roughly than the last time they did this. He wasn't nervous anymore, just wanting.

When Cody ran a hand up her thigh, Lux pulled back and looked him in the eye. "Cody…," she said, her breath unsteady.

Cody sighed and kept his hand where it was on the inside of her thigh.

"I love you Lux," he whispered with conviction.

Lux looked at him, her eyes imploring.

"W-what?" she asked him incredulously. She didn't understand why he was saying it… so soon.

"I know it hasn't been that long, but… when you were unconscious… I just got so afraid." He stopped and moved off Lux to sit beside her on the bed, his eyes still locked with hers.

"I understood," he continued, "I understood what it would be like to lose you. I never realized before."

Lux knew it was crazy, and that he was probably just more infatuated than in love. She knew that he was just overly concerned, and that it had been a particularly emotional day. He was just feeling vulnerable. Their sense of limited time had made them both irrational and impulsive. Something in her head though, took over and she pushed her rationale away, and pulled Cody in desperately for a kiss. She needed him so much. She'd never needed anything more in her entire life.

Lux let Cody push her down on his bed and climb back on top of her. He sat up suddenly to pull off his shirt and throw it on his floor, before continuing to kiss her hungrily.

She felt him hard against her leg, and a shock wave of heat ran through her body. She ran her hands up and down his chest and his body stiffened a little. He moved his mouth to suck on her neck and she closed her eyes, enjoying what he was doing to her body. He ran his hand down her chest and started to rub her breast. She moaned softly as his thumb brushed over her nipple lightly.

He moved back to kiss her lips, his tongue exploring the inside of her mouth urgently. Lux tugged at his pants and he began to undo them and take them off, still kissing her. He broke away only for a moment to throw them on the floor with his shirt.

He then reached down to pull off Lux's shirt. She leaned off the bed a little to let him, and then he threw it down by his clothes. He slowly kissed down from her mouth, over her chin and her neck, to plant kisses across her collarbone.

She moved underneath him and he grunted as she moved her leg against his erection. He continued to kiss her chest over her half exposed breasts and Lux felt her body shudder with excitement. They'd barely started and it already felt so good. He stopped and moved his hands under Lux to undo her bra. He got it off quickly, without struggle, and threw it down to the floor.

Lux gasped as he kissed her now exposed nipples, running his tongue lightly over them. She arched her back into him and ran her hands through his hair. Cody stopped and moved down to the foot of the bed, undoing Lux's pants and pulling them off one leg at a time. He was staring at her intently, keeping eye contact, his breath ragged.

She was grateful he seemed as disheveled as she did, since she felt vulnerable being naked in front of him. They each now only had their underwear on, and he lay down beside her, their heads on his pillow.

Lux turned to face him and sighed deeply, afraid to say what she had to say.

"Cody… I… I've never… before."

He put a hand to her cheek and ran it down through her hair, and over her breast before saying, "neither have I."

Lux felt immediately better. She had thought that maybe he was quite experienced, and that thought had bothered her.

"We don't have to," he said next, "I'm perfectly happy just to sleep with you beside me tonight."

Lux had not expecting to do anything tonight with Cody, other than sleep. But since he'd said he loved her, she was willing to throw caution to the wind. She knew it was reckless and she might even regret it later, but she wanted him right now. Looking in his eyes, she felt her fears and insecurities melt away.

"Cody," she said, leaning closer to him, their lips just inches apart, "I want you."

That was all he needed to hear, as he closed the distance between them, kissing her with intensity. Lux thought her body might actually overheat as he moved back on top of her, their bodies now separated by only a thin layer of clothing. He reached down to take off her underwear along with his own. Lux took a sharp intake of breath when his hand ran over her exposed self. She was incredibly turned on, but even more nervous now.

Cody noticed her uneasiness and began to kiss her lips slowly and lovingly, as if willing her to remember why they were doing this. She felt his emotion and relaxed against his touch. He moved so that he was right between her legs and locked his eyes with hers. She nodded and he kissed her once more before slowly moving inside her.

The pain was like nothing she'd ever felt before. She knew it was supposed to be painful the first time, but she had no idea it was this bad. Cody had kept his eyes on hers and when he saw her face contort with pain and let out a choked sob, he stopped, still partly inside her. He was about to pull out when she reassured him by grabbing his shoulders and saying, "no, keeping going. I'm okay."

He kissed her for a few minutes before continuing. The pain was still incredible, but Lux forced herself to persevere, tears rolling down her face. She was completely silent and only moved every once in a while to try to alleviate her pain.

Slowly, the pain began to dull but didn't disappear completely. Cody was moving excruciatingly slow, and she willed him to go faster. She pulled him down to kiss her and ground her hips into his, hoping he'd get the point, since she felt too awkward to voice her desire.

He seemed unsure until she smiled, and he then pushed into her a little faster and deeper. Lux moaned just a little, partly because it was sudden but also because it felt right. He got the hint and sped up a bit more, his breathing becoming more strained. He had a glimmer of sweat on his chest as he thrust into her, making her senses go wild.

He moved his hand up to rub her breast, and she felt a rush of pleasure jolt through her system. When he moved his head down and kissed her breast, his tongue running over her nipple, she felt herself go over the edge and he moaned against her breast. She breathed his name and climaxed. He spilled into her a few seconds later, moaning loudly, his eyes closed and leaning into her chest.

Cody collapsed down on top of her, and she could feel her heart beating quickly and loudly in her chest. She clung to him as if she'd never be able to again, and he looked up to meet her eyes. She smiled back down at him, letting him know she was happy.

"I was afraid I might regret doing that," she said still smiling, "but I know now that I could never. It was perfect."

He smiled back and kissed her fiercely.

"yeah," he replied his breathing still uneven, "it was."

He moved and laid down beside her, pulling her into him.

"I love you," Lux whispered against his chest.

She thought maybe he hadn't heard her until he pulled her against him a little harder. She felt completely full, and for the first time all day she didn't worry about what would happen tomorrow. She felt sure that he would come back to her.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

* * *

Lux contentedly laid beside Cody, listening to his breath even out, and eventually deepen into sleep. She felt tired, but she didn't want to go to sleep, not just yet. She needed a little while longer with him, before morning came.

She looked at his face staring back at her. She thought back to when she first saw him in the restaurant, just a week before. It felt like a lifetime ago. She realized she did love him. She'd fallen in love with him that first night at the restaurant. It was his eyes. They were so mysterious yet familiar at the same time. She hoped she could look at them forever.

She moved her hand over to lightly run it through his hair, it was so soft. She ran her fingertips across his forehead and over his lips. She loved everything about him. She had so much to lose.

Her affectionate gestures must have woken him, because he moved just a bit, and blinked his eyes open.

"Can't sleep?" he asked concerned.

"No," she replied, "I guess not."

They both laid in silence for a few minutes, the only sound being their shallow breathing, their dull heartbeats, and the gentle humming of the pipes in the walls.

The heavy opening of a door sounded outside the room, and they both jumped a little. Lux was wondering who exactly had entered when Cody muttered, "Jason."

Lux remembered Cody telling her that Jason would come home late, most likely drunk. She hoped that he wouldn't come into Cody's room. They heard the sound of heavy footsteps and the heavy thud of a door closing. Lux relaxed as she realized that Jason had gone straight into his room.

"Do you think he knows about the mission?" asked Lux.

"I don't know," replied Cody, "I'll talk to him before I leave tomorrow."

Lux wished she hadn't brought up the subject. She felt the familiar tenseness in her stomach, and felt as if a huge weight had been placed on her. She rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling, hoping it would stop the tears from escaping her eyes. It was hopeless however, as she felt her eyes burn and tears roll down the sides of her face. It was dark and she hoped that maybe Cody wouldn't notice. She knew she was wrong when she felt him wipe away a tear with his thumb and turn her face to look at him.

"I'm coming back," he said with sincerity.

"Promise?" asked Lux.

Cody pulled her into his chest and hugged her in his arms, before whispering, "I promise."

Lux opened her eyes to see Cody rummaging through his closet, pulling out clothes and stuffing them into a bag. He didn't notice Lux as she rolled onto her back, and sat up slowly, clutching the blankets to cover her still naked chest. She felt a pounding in her head, and she winced, letting a soft moan escape her lips.

Cody heard her and turned around.

"What's wrong?" he asked worried.

"My head. I guess it hurts from yesterday still," said Lux, rubbing the back of her head gingerly.

"I'll get you something," said Cody, leaving the room and closing the door behind him. Lux took the opportunity to put her own clothes from yesterday back on.

She was just finishing getting dressed, straightening out her shirt, when Cody came back. He had a glass of water and an aspirin.

"Thanks," said Lux, as he handed her both. She popped the pill in her mouth and took a large drink of water, washing it down.

Cody sat down beside her and rubbed her arm affectionately, but seemed distracted, looking down at the floor.

"What's wrong?" asked Lux.

Cody looked up and said, "I don't know. Just nervous I guess."

Lux took his hand reassuringly and said, "I'm sure you won't be gone long. I'll be waiting for you to come home."

Cody smiled at her and got up, still holding onto Lux's hand. Lux stood up with him and kissed him quickly. Cody picked up his bag and turned to walk out, with Lux behind him, into the kitchen

"Are you hungry?" he asked her, setting the bag down at the front door.

Lux shook her head, "not really."

Cody nodded and said, "I'm not either. I'll just go talk to Jason before we go." Cody walked over to Jason's room and knocked before opening the door and walking in, closing it behind him. He was in there a few minutes before he emerged, and walked back over to Lux.

"Alright, let's go," said Cody, walking over to the front door and picking up his bag and pulling on his shoes. Lux followed suit and they both left the apartment. Cody took one last look behind him as the door closed shut with a heavy thud. They walked down the hallway, hand in hand.

When they reached the docks, Cody led the way to the Logos and walked over to Link who was working on the ship. Link dropped his tools when he saw Cody, and stood up to face him.

"Cody, thanks for coming. Just put your stuff inside a room and we can finish up some things before we leave. Mode should be here anytime too."

Cody nodded and turned to face Lux, as Link went back to work to give them some privacy.

"I'm glad I got to spend last night with you," said Cody, sadness evident in his voice.

"Me too," said Lux, noticing the sadness in her own voice, "I'll see you when you get back."

"Definitely," said Cody, and he kissed her one last time before pulling her into a tight hug. Lux savored the feeling of his arms around hers, never wanting to let go. She suppressed her tears and tried to remain as cheerful as possible, as he pulled away to look her in the eye one last time.

"Bye Lux," he said quietly.

"Bye Cody," replied Lux, mirroring his tone.

She turned to say goodbye to Link, and waved as she watched Cody walk into the ship. She turned to walk back towards her building, her steps even and heavy. Once she was far enough away from the docks, she let herself cry. Tears rolled down her face and she ignored the inquisitive looks she got from bystanders as she walked by.

She thought about going to see Ana before going home, but she figured she would be saying goodbye to Mode. Lux made her way up the stairs and walked down to her front door.

She walked inside still crying and closed the door behind her. She stood just inside her front door, taking in her surroundings. She looked at the living room, where the four of them had been only days before. She sat down on the same couch her and Cody had been sitting on, and closed her eyes, trying to feel him beside her.

She heard footsteps quickly come down the hallway then stop suddenly at the entrance to the living room. Lux assumed it was her mother and kept her eyes closed, waiting for her mother to sit down beside her and take her in her arms.

Lux felt the weight of someone sit down beside her, then a pair of arms reach around and embrace her. She was startled however, as she realized the figure was not her mother, but her father. She recognized his slightly larger body and his familiar scent. She relaxed against him and cried freely.

"Your mother told me about Mode and Cody leaving. I'm sorry sweetheart," he said in a caring voice.

Lux sighed softly and said nothing, allowing her sobs to speak for her.

"How's Ana?" he asked.

Lux almost replied that she wasn't sure, until she remembered that she had supposedly stayed with her last night.

"Uh… not well," she answered, which Lux guessed wasn't far from the truth.

Just then Trinity's voice sounded in Lux's ears, as her mother walked towards the living room from the hallway, "Neo, what time is your meeting toda-?"

She stopped short when she noticed Lux, still crying in her father's arms.

"Oh Lux, I didn't know you were home," she said, her voice soft.

"I just got home," said Lux, starting to calm down.

"How did your night go?" Trinity asked, walking into the room and sitting down on the couch opposite Neo and Lux.

Lux thought for a minute about how to answer. She wanted so desperately to share the night with her mother, but knew she couldn't in front of her father.

In the past it was always her mother who had been the strict one and her father who had usually sided with her and been more understanding. The roles seemed to have reversed however, since Cody came into the picture. Lux started to realize that her mother had more understanding when it came to adult things, especially guys. Neo was kind and unyielding with Lux as long as she was still a child in his eyes. She figured that had been why she always got his sympathy when she acted immaturely. Her mother had been waiting for her to grow up, and now stood beside her more than ever with such a serious and mature situation at hand.

"It was alright. Maybe we could talk about it later?" Lux finally answered.

Her mother seemed to understand as she looked at Neo, then back at Lux nodding and said, "of course."

Trinity then got up and smiled at Lux, before walking into the kitchen leaving the two alone once again.

Lux looked up at her father and said, "thanks Dad. I feel a bit better now."

He smiled at her and said, "I'm glad. I have to go to a meeting now, but I'm always here if you need me."

Lux smiled back and thanked him again, before he got up and left the apartment. Lux wiped her eyes and walked into the kitchen where her mother was reading at the table. Trinity looked up when Lux sat down opposite her at the table. She smiled warmly and waited for Lux to speak.

"You didn't tell Dad?" asked Lux.

"No," said her mother, "I didn't think it was necessary."

Lux nodded and her mother continued, "what happened last night?"

Lux felt her face burn and wondered whether or not to tell her mother exactly what had happened. She wasn't sure what her reaction would be, but she desperately wanted to talk to someone about it. She wanted someone to know exactly how she was feeling.

"Did you?" asked her mother, looking at Lux intensely, but without severity.

Lux swallowed and nodded her head, looking down at the table.

She heard her mother sigh, not in anger or frustration, but rather in concern.

"Do you regret it?" asked her mother after a few seconds.

Lux looked up, feeling more confident that her mother understood and wasn't angry or disappointed in her.

"No," said Lux with a strong resolve, "I care about him a lot."

Her mother smiled and said, "I understand."

Lux smiled back warmly and got up to walk around the table and hug her mother.

"I'm worried I'll never see him again," said Lux softly into her mother's shoulder.

"I know," her mother whispered, "I used to worry about your dad the same way."

Lux pulled back and sat back down on a chair beside her mother.

"You should go see Ana, I'm sure she's feeling just as upset as you are," suggested Trinity.

Lux nodded and got up to leave. Her mother's voice stopped her.

"Lux," she said. Lux turned around to face her mother as she continued, "he'll be alright, I just know it."

Lux smiled and nodded slowly before leaving. Walking out of the apartment, she took off towards the stairs and took them two at a time. Once at Ana's door, she knocked and waited patiently for an answer. It took almost two minutes, and Lux was about to leave, when Ana opened the door. Her face was flushed and her eyes were bloodshot. She looked awful, like she'd been crying for hours.

"I wasn't going to answer, but then I thought it might be you," she explained, stepping aside to let Lux in.

Lux stepped inside, then reached out a hand to Ana's shoulder and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Mode left a few minutes ago," Ana choked out, new tears now forming in her eyes.

"Yeah, I said goodbye to Cody just an hour ago," said Lux.

"Oh yeah, how was your night?" asked Ana, she seemed to appreciate the distraction.

"It was perfect," said Lux smiling.

Ana brushed the tears from her cheek and sniffed, before saying, "perfect huh?" with a bit of lightheartedness in her voice.

"Yeah," replied Lux, "you're going to think we're crazy, but we said we loved each other."

Lux expected Ana to make a snide remark about how immature and impulsive she was, but she was quite surprised to hear Ana's voice crack.

"Oh Lux," she said, looking on the edge of a mental breakdown.

"What?" asked Lux surprised, "you're not going to tease me about this?"

Ana shook her head, "No Lux, I'm really happy for you."

"Oh," said Lux, almost disappointed.

Ana smiled and laughed a little before continuing, "at least you didn't have sex with him or something, that would have been a different story."

Lux laughed nervously and averted her eyes. She internally kicked herself. She was so bad at hiding things.

Ana eyed her suspiciously and asked in a disbelieving voice, "wait, you didn't did you? I mean you said…"

Lux shrugged her shoulders, and said quickly, "It just sort of happened."

Lux looked up when Ana was silent, and saw Ana's mouth was wide open, her hand reaching up to cover it, a look of horror and shock on her face.

Lux couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Ana didn't join her, but instead grabbed her arm and said, "what?! You've only known him a week!? Even Mode and I haven't yet!"

"Oh, calm down," said Lux, her laughter fading, "it's no big deal."

Ana dropped her hand that was clutching Lux and gave her a serious face. Lux smiled encouragingly at her, trying to convince her it really wasn't a big deal. Ana then smiled and started laughing too.

"Wait, why are _you_ laughing?" asked Lux defensively.

"I can't believe you!" she exclaimed after she had calmed down. "What came over you?"

Lux shrugged again, "I don't know, I just did it."

Ana smiled and then suddenly a look of excitement flashed across her face.

"What was it like?!" she asked in excitement, "Did it hurt?! Was it good?! How long was it?!"

Lux blushed as Ana fired embarrassing questions at her. Ana grabbed Lux's arm again and dragged her into her bedroom, sitting her down on her bed.

"Tell me _everything_!" said Ana with an urgent tone.

Lux laughed and felt her previous negative emotions melt away. She forgot how Ana could make her feel so much better no matter how upset she was. She smiled thinking of this and remembered what she had said that night, about how they'd always have each other. It was so true.


	11. Chapter 11

This chapter is quite dreary, it just sort of ended up that way. I hope you still enjoy it though!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

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Lux was surprised how quickly the time passed. It had been six days, almost a full week since the Logos left, taking Cody away from her. She and Ana tried their best to keep their minds off Mode and Cody, as they rarely mentioned them when they talked.

Lux immersed herself in school and her studies, always reading whenever she found herself alone. It was the only way to keep sane. If she let herself think for too long she'd start to feel the deep fear and loneliness, thinking of Cody in danger somewhere far from Zion.

She ate only what was necessary and what her mother could force down her throat. Food made her feel sick, as the knot in her stomach had permanently taken up residence there.

It was Saturday afternoon and Lux was sitting on her bed, reading Romeo and Juliet for the third time since Cody left. Reading it made her feel closer to him somehow. She remembered the line he had said to her that night he first came over.

_Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow._

She had read the line over and over, etching it into her memory.

Her thoughts quickly escaped her mind however, when she looked over at the clock and saw it was already two o'clock. She had to work in just an hour, and sighed loudly. That last thing she felt like doing was going to work. It would only remind her of Cody and how they met.

It was then that it happened, the moment that changed everything. There was a frantic knock at the front door, and Lux lifted up her head, instantly alert. She wasn't so much afraid as she was curious. It wasn't until she peeked her head out of her room, and saw her mother open up the door to a hysterical Ana, that Lux felt the fear entrench inside of her.

Ana was crying uncontrollably and desperately trying to form words. She stood outside fumbling for a few seconds, before she caught sight of Lux walking toward the door. She locked her eyes with Lux's and came inside, now absolutely silent.

"Ana, what is it?" asked Trinity.

Ana was focused on Lux still and did not face Trinity to answer, but just spoke to Lux, "Something happened to the ship. It crashed somewhere on the surface and they lost contact."

Lux felt her heart stop and her breath jam inside her throat. Lux had anticipated that this would happen. She had run over the scenario inside her head over and over, but somehow the events unfolding into reality was just too much to bear.

After what felt like years of silence, Lux heard her mother speak.

"I'm sure they're alright. I'm sure they just went off course, or maybe had a malfunction with the computers," suggested Trinity.

Lux knew her mother had a point, but somehow this point didn't register in her mind. All she could imagine was death. Her mother was talking to them both again, but Lux could only focus her attention on Ana's face, still staring intently at her. Ana wasn't paying attention to Trinity either. The world seemed to shrink, leaving them both standing completely alone, face to face.

Lux desperately wanted to run into Ana's arms, she wanted to make her feel better, but also to just be held herself. Her body refused to move however, and her mind wouldn't let her escape from fleeting images of a broken, destructed Logos.

It wasn't fair. The war had ended so many years ago. Too many lives were already claimed. It was supposed to be over. What did Link, Mode, Cody, and all the others ever do besides try to help? They deserved so much more.

Lux felt anger rise inside of her, anger so powerful that it became hard to breathe. Ana was looking at her with a sense of hopelessness. She was pleading with Lux to say something, do something, anything. Lux was always the one Ana ran to when things fell apart. But this time Lux felt no pity, sympathy, compassion, or kindness. She didn't even feel sadness anymore, only extraordinary rage.

Trinity was looking between the two and said in a distant voice, "Ana, why don't you and Lux stay with each other tonight. Lux can call into work and explain."

Lux felt her jaw clench and her fists tighten at her sides. Ana noticed and was now looking at Lux with a hint of fear and apprehension in her eyes. This seemed to enrage Lux even more, everything did. Ana's tears, still spilling forth, her mother's calm demeanor, even the ticking clock on the wall seemed to fuel an unstoppable rage inside of her. She couldn't take it anymore. She was tired of calming down, of comforting others, of holding it together. She was so sick of crying and feeling so pathetically useless.

Suddenly she bolted towards the door, roughly pushing past Ana and ripping herself free from her mother's quick grasp. She couldn't have cared less if she'd knocked them both down to the hard floor. She just needed to run and push and hate.

"Lux, stop!" cried her mother, steadying Ana quickly before she fell.

Lux slammed open the door and ran as fast as she could possibly go down the walkway. She jumped the stairs and sprinted down the street, not even caring or noticing where she was going. She pushed past people if they were in her way and didn't stop to even acknowledge their angry yells.

Lux ran until she reached the end of the long street, then turned down another and ran again. She ran almost ten blocks free and clear, barely slowing down. She finally collapsed when she felt she was far enough and her legs could not possibly go any longer. She was nearing the outside of town, and there were few people in the streets at this end.

After a few minutes of choking and coughing her breath back, ignoring the concerned looks of a few strangers, she got up and continued to run. She felt the pain in her chest, as it was almost suffocating. She needed to feel the pain. She wanted more pain. She ran off all her silent tears, suppressed fears, and every lonely thought.

Lux knew that running away wasn't going to fix anything. It would never bring Cody back, or Mode. It wouldn't stop the pain she was going to feel eventually, but in the moment, she just couldn't seem to stop. She knew she was being a coward, but for once she couldn't have cared less.

Once she reached the end of town, she turned down to run through the pipes that led from the open expanse containing Zion, to the other systems of sewers. The pipes didn't lead anywhere worth going, but they went on for miles and miles. Lux wanted to be as far away from home and everyone she knew as she could possibly get.

The pipes were dark, dingy, and had a narrow stream of water running through them. They were large enough though that lights were scattered along the sides providing just enough light to follow. Often maintenance crews had to repair the walls and make sure they were still stable, but other than that, no one ever went down them.

Lux felt the water splashing against her legs as she continued to run through the steady shallow stream of water. Her heavy steps echoed inside the pipes and even her breathing resounded off the walls. She finally stopped after almost a mile down the main pipe. She had reached the junction where the pipes narrowed and turned up toward the surface. She wanted to keep going but knew that she couldn't.

She collapsed once again, her legs giving out underneath her and she fell on her knees into the shallow water. She spread out her hands and felt the water trickle over her fingers. She closed her eyes and let her breath escape in ragged gasps.

Her anger had diffused and she now felt only pain, a deep intense pain that resounded throughout her body. She felt completely drained and weak. Most of it was probably from the run. She'd never run so far and so fast in her life. The physical pain however, was nothing compared to the deep weight of emotional pain rising up from her stomach, through her chest, and up into her throat.

She cried hysterically, still gasping from the physical exertion, tears streaming down her face. She put her face into the water, and considering swallowing it down until she eventually filled her stomach and lungs completely. When she opened her mouth however, she tasted the horrendous flavor of rusting metal and remembered that the water in the pipes was poisonous.

She lifted her head quickly on instinct, water dripping down from her face, and instead simply lay on her back. She let the stream rush around her body and slowly soak into her clothes, the cold water numbing her skin.

She wanted to feel inhuman. She wanted to just pretend for a moment that she wasn't an awkward sixteen-year-old girl who felt completely alone, but instead an unfeeling metal pipe, content to just exist. She thought of the machines and how lucky they were. They knew nothing of emotions like heartache, loneliness, and misery. For some reason the poem she read in Cody's book flashed into her memory.

_Since feeling is first, who pays any attention to the syntax of things._

She completely understood what it meant now. It was impossible to be cool, calm, and calculated, when emotions were constantly interfering and controlling your life. Love made you so vulnerable, and Lux hated it. She hated Cody, Ana, and her parents. She hated them all.

Guilt crept into Lux's mind as she realized what she had just thought. She didn't hate them. She loved them so much it hurt. It hurt so much. That's what she hated, the hurt.

How had it come to this, lying on her back in a cold damp gigantic sewer pipe? How had it all gone so wrong? She barely recognized herself, wallowing in self-pity. The Lux she had once been so sure of, was gone entirely, replaced by a pathetic excuse for a human being. If only all of them could see her now, all of the followers of 'the One's daughter. If only they could see how miserable and pathetic she was, what would they think of her then? She was no savoir or heroine. Left to rot in the sewers, she was only human.

Lux knew that her mother and Ana would probably be out looking for her. She knew that when she didn't show up to work, Buzz would finally fire her. She knew all the devastating consequences she had facing her, and she didn't give a damn. In fact, a part of her wanted them to worry, to be shocked, even to be angry. Maybe then they'd understand how she felt.

Lux sat back up slowly, feeling the heaviness of her clothes, soaked in the dirty rust-filled water. Her hair was sopping, and her body began to shake from the ice cold water. She sat back against the side of the pipe, her feet still sticking in the river of water, and pulled her knees up to her chest.

She thought of never leaving, and the possibility that they'd never find her, and she could just sit in peace forever. Lux was quite sure that no one would think to look down here, and she was out of view of Zion. A person would have to walk almost the whole mile to catch sight of her, crouching just inside the junction.

She decided to just sit and wait, either until someone found her or until she felt ready to go back. Neither one came for quite some time. She had no idea how much time had gone by but she knew it must have been hours. All of the entire sewer system had artificial light, so there was really no way to tell how what time it was since there was no sun to set or rise. Lux was fairly certain that the lights in the pipe stayed on all night, even though most of Zion turned off around ten automatically.

She peeked around the corner of the pipe and saw that indeed the glowing light had dimmed significantly, it must have been after ten already. That meant she had been in the pipe for nearly eight hours. She felt neither hungry, nor tired, but simply numb.

She stayed up all night, the cool water keeping her awake, as she purposely let her feet drag in the stream. A part of her wanted to sleep, but she didn't dare. Her body felt weak and painful, and she knew it would only get worse if she slept in a cold damp metal sewer.

Lux thought of her mother, who would probably be worrying about her. She thought about her Dad, who would have felt disappointed that she hadn't gone to him, but instead chosen to run away in cowardice. He always told her never to run from her fears. She thought of Ana whom she'd promised to stick by, and had brutally abandoned in a moment of selfish rage. Finally she thought of Cody. She wondered if he was alive or not. She wondered if he was in pain. She wondered if maybe he was already on his way back to see her. What would he think if he could see her now? Lux felt completely, utterly, and unbelievably ashamed.

She thought of all the times in her life when she'd felt ashamed. That night she got drunk at the rave and Ana had gotten in trouble. She thought of the time when she was just ten years old, and she had cheated on a test at school. The school had made both her parents come in, and told them right in front of her. She remembered her father's face as he looked at her, disappointment in his eyes. She had never felt so ashamed in her entire life, until now.

She sat in the sewer all night long, thinking about her entire life, absolutely everything that had led up to this point in time. By the time the morning came, and the lights of Zion blinked on, Lux knew she had to go back home. She had to face up to everyone, just as she'd done every other time in the past. Sitting in the sewer was as useless as dying, and even now she didn't have the guts for that.

Lux stretched out her frozen limp legs, and felt a horrendous pain shoot through her spine. Sitting for so long against hard metal had wreaked havoc on her body. She attempted to stand, but felt the pain intensify beyond belief and she collapsed back down again, landing in the water with a hollow splash.

She felt the shame creep back into her mind as she realized how pathetic she felt. She allowed herself to cry shamelessly, trying to get up again, grunting through her pain.

She stood awkwardly, and moved forward to walk, stumbling through the searing pain. After a few steps however, the pain dulled and her muscles took on a dull ache instead, burning in her legs, back, and arms.

She limped through the tunnel, suddenly hating herself for running so far. She had miles to go and wasn't sure if she could make it. She felt extremely weak with no sleep and no food for so long.

She must have looked like hell. Her hair was damp, sticking to the sides of her face and down her neck. Her clothes were limply hanging off of her, wet and grainy against her pale bare skin that was still numb with cold.

When Lux finally reached the entrance of the tunnel, after what seemed like hours, she looked out at Zion. The streets just a couple hundred meters away were filled with people. She would surely be noticed in her horrendous state. She managed to tame her now only damp hair so she looked less wild, and tried her best to wring out her clothes. She now probably only appeared to have stayed in a wet sewer all night, opposed to a ten mile muddy waterfall ride.

She was still limping, but a little faster as she had a long way to travel back home. Why oh why did she run so far? She walked slowly down the center of the street, trying her best to ignore the comments and whispers of the people watching her. She avoided everyone's eyes and suppressed a new batch of self-loathing tears. She was getting better at holding them back, she thought sickeningly.

She reached her building after a grueling six mile walk. She wanted to collapse right there at the bottom of the stairs, but forced herself to walk up. She needed to face her family, if they'd ever manage to forgive her for running away that is.

Lux looked down at herself one last time, the shame still sitting at the bottom of her stomach, making it churn. She swallowed and walked to stand in front of her apartment door. She reached out for the handle and turned it slowly, peeking her head inside before stepping in. The apartment was deserted. Where were her parents? Ana? Didn't they care? They hadn't even bothered to wait up for her?

Lux closed the door behind her and slammed her back into it, sliding down the door to sit on the floor. Her shame and guilt had been replaced by intense hurt. She had lost Cody, and because of her selfish rage she had lost her best friend and even her parents too. Everyone who meant everything to her had gone.

Resolve filled Lux and she sat leaning against the door. She knew what she had to do. She had to just let it go, forget about it, and move on.

She stood up slowly, the pain in her legs returning to make her stumble and limp again down the hallway. She walked into her room and sat down on her bed, making the blanket damp. The smell of iron and chlorine filled her senses, as she hugged her body tightly.

She cried for at least twenty minutes before getting up and walking over to her dresser. She picked up a picture she had of her and Ana taken a few years back. It was worn a little, and was sticky where it had been stuck to the mirror. She ran her fingertips over it and smiled. Ana may never know how much their friendship had meant to her. She should have told her more often how much she needed Ana. Ana was so much more than her best friend, she was her lifeline.

Lux clutched the picture in her hand and walked out of her room, this time not caring to limp even with the pain shooting up her leg. She walked into the bathroom, leaving the door wide open. Privacy was not a big priority at the moment.

Lux turned the taps and filled the tub with hot water. It wasn't scalding as she usually liked it, but hot enough to ease her throbbing aching body. Lux climbed into the tub, which was filled so full that some of the water slopped over the edges as she got in. She left her clothes on and sank in to the tub, completely emerging herself underwater.

She wanted peace and this was the only way she knew how to find it.

Lux lay down on the bottom of the tub, the picture still clutched tightly in her hand, and she closed her eyes. Bubbles slowly escaping her lips as she held her breath.

Lux heard her mother's voice, whispering in her ear just how much she loved her. She hugged her father and heard him say how proud of her he was. She saw Ana's face and laughed with her about a joke she didn't even remember. She felt Cody kiss her tenderly and make love to her one last time. Lux felt all her memories fade away into the water.

One last bubble escaped her mouth and the picture floated up to the surface of the water, causing a small ripple on the otherwise still surface.


	12. Chapter 12

I hope this chapter is a little more uplifting than the last one. Please continue to review, and I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

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Lux felt her body grow weaker with each passing second. Her lungs, full of air, began to swell painfully. She had been holding her breath for what seemed like hours. She felt a sense of panic as her chest began to feel tighter and tighter. It was as if she was expanding and contracting at the same time. She began to feel like her body was about to explode. Somehow she managed to persevere through the pain. She was afraid it would be impossible, but her strong sense of resolve had kept her going. She was holding on and holding on and holding on. It would all be over soon.

It was only after waiting for what felt like an eternity, that she finally found peace. The pain began to dull and she started to feel weightless. It almost felt as if she was no longer in her body, but had drained out into the water surrounding her, just as her thoughts had only moments before. She could feel the separation. She was falling away. Slowly.

She was almost there, almost through the darkness, when something crashed all around her. Was this is? Was this what death felt like? Had it come for her finally?

She felt something different now. An incredible force was physically pulling her out of the tub. Lux's eyes snapped open underwater. She was supposed to be dead. This wasn't right.

Lux felt two strong arms wrapped firmly around her body. She would have resisted them, but she had been in the tub for so long, and she could not feel her body any longer. She couldn't move and was forced to remain motionless as she was pulled out, limp in someone's arms.

Lux was barely aware of what was going on, but somehow the air had managed to find its way back down into her throat. She was choking and gasping for breath. Peering through foggy blurred eyes, Lux could vaguely make out her father's face. He was carrying her and was now laying her down on the hard bathroom floor. She could hear his voice sounding distant as she continued choking, air trying to rush back into her lungs.

"Breathe Lux, breathe!"

Lux spat out the last of the water that she'd swallowed from the bath, and gasped a final time, filling her lungs with air. Her breathing was extremely labored but was steadying out. Her father pulled her into his chest, squeezing her harder than she would have liked, as she was still trying to get her breath back. She realized he was crying, clutching her as if she had just died right there in his arms. Lux's vision was becoming more focused and her breathing was less heavy. She hugged her father back with as much strength as she had inside of her, which wasn't much. He relaxed his grip on her and pulled back to look her in the eyes.

"Lux, what were you doing?" he asked, desperation and anxiousness causing his voice to shake.

Lux didn't respond and she didn't quite feel she could get out words yet, still coughing sporadically. It was then she then noticed her mother standing in the doorway. Trinity was clutching the wall and looked as if she might pass out, her face completely blank, except for silent tears running down her face.

Lux felt heavy and exhausted. Her eyelids sagged and she remained completely still, only partially awake, slipping out of consciousness once again. She felt her father pick her up and stand with her in his arms. He walked past Trinity who remained motionless at the doorway. Lux heard Ana's hysterical voice sometime later, and bits and pieces of Morpheus and Niobe's concerned words. She felt hands touch her forehead, smooth her hair, and clutch her hand tightly. The last thing she heard was her mother's sobs as she allowed her body to rest and leave the world behind.

Lux woke up in her bed. She felt like she had the worst hangover of her life. Her head was pounding, her body ached, and weakness weighed her down. She felt a weight leaning against her legs and looked up, surprised to see Ana sleeping, sitting up on her bed against the wall. Lux then noticed her father sitting on her floor against the opposite wall, still in his shirt soaked from pulling Lux out of the tub. Lux felt her heart swell. They must care about her, they stayed up all night with her.

Lux sat up slowly and was about to wake Ana and her father, but decided to let them sleep a while longer instead. It was then that she noticed her mother was not in the room. Curiosity overcoming Lux, she dragged herself out of bed, careful not to disturb Ana. She walked as best she could out of her room, tip toeing around her father.

Her aching body was not impressed with Lux's idea to get up and walk, but Lux was worried. Her mother was usually right by her side if Lux was ever upset or feeling ill.

Lux quietly made her way down the hallway and out into the kitchen. There was no sign of her mother there or in the living room. Lux walked back past her bedroom, and down the hallway again to check her parent's bedroom. The room was cold and empty. There was only one place left in the apartment, the bathroom. Lux rounded the corner of the hallway, and faced the bathroom. The door was almost closed, only a small amount of light escaping the narrow crack.

Lux stepped forward and lightly pushed open the door. Trinity was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, her feet still on the bathroom floor, angled away from the tub. Her fingertips were lightly brushing the surface of the water every few seconds, making it ripple. She was facing away from the door, and didn't look up when Lux walked in.

Lux stood at the door, unmoving and silent. Lux could feel her mother's grief and depression. The air was limp and cold, suspended in the room. The tub was still filled with water and the floor was completely flooded. Trinity's clothes were limp and damp all over, but not soaking. She had probably been sitting there all night Lux realized.

Lux swallowed. This was enough for her mother to speak. Her tone was so dull and her voice so small, it sounded as if she was on the brink of death.

"After you ran away… Ana and I got Neo from a meeting, and we set out to find you. We looked everywhere. We looked for hours and hours. We were out all night. We finally gave up in the morning, and thought maybe you'd come home when we were out looking… That's when your father found you…"

Trinity made a noise that sounded like she was struggling to breathe.

"I've been sitting here all night… just staring at this water. This water that almost took you from me."

Trinity paused for almost a full minute before continuing.

"I hated it for trying to take you from me. But then I realized… it wouldn't have been the water that killed you… it would have been _me._"

Trinity faltered on the last work, her voice sounding disgusted. Lux didn't understand. Her mother had so little to do with her decision. Her decision was based on her own selfishness and shame. How could her mother not see that?

"I failed you. I'm your mother, and I failed you."

Trinity repeated this a few times over before finally breaking down into tears. Her body convulsed with her cries and she allowed herself to sink down into the tub, falling in with a final splash.

Lux finally found the strength to move. Lux walked to the tub, her feet padding through the thin layer of water on the floor, and looked down at her mother. Trinity didn't look up. Lux climbed over into the tub, and into her mother's arms. Trinity hugged Lux tightly, her cries now muffled in Lux's neck. Lux felt her own tears fall into the water. She needed to say so much to her mother, but didn't know how to begin.

"I'm still here," was all that Lux managed to say.

Trinity pulled back and put her hands on Lux's face when she spoke next.

"I thank God for that," she said, pain still coursing through her words.

Trinity began hugging and kissing Lux urgently, squeezing her tightly, and whispering lines over and over.

"Lux, I need you. I love you so much. Don't ever leave me. Please, Lux."

Lux just hugged her mother back and nodded her head each time her mother spoke. She finally found the words she needed to say most of all.

"I'm sorry," whispered Lux, still crying, "I'm so sorry Mom."

"I forgive you," said Trinity, "but only if you can forgive me too."

Lux didn't feel her mother had anything to be sorry about, but all the same she nodded her head. They hugged one final time, holding on for at least two solid minutes, until a noise was heard at the door. They both looked to see Neo standing there, smiling lightly at them.

"Hi," he said softly, "I'm glad you're okay. I was worried I might have lost you both."

Lux smiled at her dad, and wiped away her tears with the back of her once again soaked shirt.

"Thank you," said Lux, looking at her father.

"For what?" he asked, as if last night hadn't happened at all.

"For saving my life," replied Lux softly.

"Well, it's in my job description," replied Neo smiling.

"Oh right," said Lux amused, "you are 'the One' after all."

"No," said Neo, "I meant it's my job as your father. Nothing else matters as much as that."

Lux smiled again. She moved away from her mother and attempted to stand up in the tub. She forgot however, that her body was still working against her, and almost fell out onto the floor until Neo caught her.

"Oops," said Lux, once again in her father's arms.

He laughed and helped her to stand and she slowly stepped out of the tub with his help. Neo then let her go to pull Trinity out. He grabbed Trinity's hand and pulled her out, kissing her in the process and pulling her into a tight embrace. Lux almost said one of her 'get a room' lines, but thought better of it. It had been a long night for all of them.

Instead Lux decided to join them. She hugged them both, eliciting a surprise reaction from both her parents, before they made room to hug her too. The three stood together, until another person entered the bathroom.

"Pfft, don't I feel snubbed!" said Ana from the doorway, "here I am not leaving your side all night, and I wake up to find you all sneak away to have a family moment without ME!"

Lux let go of her parents and laughed, walking over to hug Ana. Ana grabbed onto her, and spoke with a very serious and grave tone in her voice.

"We swore we'd always be there for each other. What happened Lux?"

Lux pulled back to look Ana in the eye before answering.

"I'm so sorry Ana. I'll never do that to you again. Can you forgive me?"

Ana smiled and pushed Lux playfully in the shoulder.

"Well I guess I have to don't I? I need someone around to get me in trouble and God knows you're the best at the job."

They both laughed and hugged again.

"Come on," said Trinity, walking up behind them, "I know what you two both need."

Lux and Ana looked at each other puzzled.

"Food," said Trinity.

Just at the mention of the word, Lux felt her stomach groan. She was starving. Lux went to her room to change into some clean dry clothes, and her parents did the same. Lux and Ana then followed Trinity and Neo out into the kitchen. Trinity made chicken and pasta, Lux's favorite. After her third helping, Lux thanked her mother and opted to go back to bed. She needed the rest quite badly. Her body was still aching and her head had felt worse by the minute, the longer she was awake.

Ana went back home to let her parents know that Lux was alright. After her parents hugged her once more each, Lux went into her room and climbed into her bed. She laid down her head on the pillow and smiled to herself. For how awful and desperate she had felt last night, she now felt like her old self again. She realized how lucky she was that her father came in and saved her when he did.

Just as Lux was feeling content enough to close her eyes and get some sleep, Cody entered back into her mind. So much had happened that she had forgotten that he was missing. She had been so upset that she'd managed to forget why she was upset in the first place.

Lux felt like running away all over again. She missed Cody just as much as she did yesterday in that godforsaken sewer. She wanted him back so badly. She wanted him there beside her so she could tell him about everything that happened. She wanted to share her pain with him, sitting in that sewer, his face flashing through her mind for hours. Lux wanted him to know that she'd been given a second chance and she was going to make sure it didn't get wasted. Despite her new lease on life, there was still too much pain weighing on her mind.

As much as she loved her family and was glad to be alive, no amount of hugging, tears, or loving smiles could help Cody. She knew that unless Cody came back to her, her life would feel all wrong just as it had last night, and that no one else in the world could ever make it right again.


	13. Chapter 13

I'm sorry that it's been a while since I updated, I've been working on my other story. Thanks again for the review, SuicidalImbecile, even just one diehard fan makes it all worth it!  To the rest who are reading, even though you aren't reviewing, I appreciate the hits and hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

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Lux slept for the rest of the day and woke up only once around ten in the evening. She went to use the washroom and noticed that the floor was dry and the tub drained. Her mother had obviously spent the day cleaning it up. A pang of guilt resounded in Lux's heart, as she realized how much time it must have taken. Lux should have been the one to clean it, not her mother.

Lux walked back down the hallway, noticing that her parents were already in bed. They were probably tired from the night before too. Lux went back into her bedroom and lay down. She felt fully awake since she had gotten up. Cody was all that seemed to occupy her mind. Lux tried to eat more chicken. She drank about four glasses of water. She even attempted to clean and organize her room. Nothing seemed to push Cody out of her head. It wasn't until the early morning, when the lights of Zion flickered on, that Lux grudgingly grabbed some clothes and went to take a bath.

She poured the bath and got in, spending only five minutes quickly washing her hair, before jumping out again. Her usual routine of holding her breath underwater seemed to hold a new meaning. It was no longer a peaceful luxury, but more a receding nightmare. Lux knew that having a bath would never quite be the same again. It was now just one more thing to dread in her life.

Lux quickly got dressed and headed down the hallway to the kitchen. She could hear her mother making breakfast and smelled eggs once she got closer. They always ate eggs for breakfast as it was an easy food to come by. Everyone in Zion had to get used to a diet containing lots of eggs.

"We're having pasta for dinner tonight so try to be home by five," said Trinity, as Lux walked into the kitchen.

Pasta, though Lux, Cody had made her pasta. Cody. When Lux was taking a bath she had temporarily been relieved of worrying about Cody. All of a sudden, the worry and loneliness came flooding back. Lux felt her eyes water and suddenly she was bawling her eyes out, right there in the kitchen. Trinity looked at her, terrified that she had done something wrong.

"Sweetheart, what is it? I'm so sorry. You don't have to eat pasta, you can have whatever you want!" said Trinity desperately, walking over to rub Lux's shoulder.

Lux shook her head at her mother.

"It's not that," she said, "it's just that Cody made me pasta and it just reminded me of how much I miss him."

Trinity seemed to relax, understanding the situation better now. She hugged Lux tightly, before walking back to the frying eggs. Lux wiped her eyes and sat down at the table. She had managed to calm herself down.

"Not to upset you more," said Trinity, "but I think you should go down to the restaurant and explain to Buzz about Saturday. I'm sure there are a million other things you'd rather do, but he does deserve an explanation."

Lux was really not in the mood to think about Buzz. She would be happy to never go back to the restaurant ever again. However, she realized that her mother was right. With that thought, Lux groaned and slammed her head down on the table.

Trinity put a plate of eggs in front of Lux and the two ate in silence until Lux asked, "where's dad?"

"Another meeting," said Trinity. She paused a moment before continuing, "it was about the Logos."

Lux dropped her fork onto her plate with a loud clang.

"What?" she asked disbelievingly.

"They just got news and they held a council meeting to discuss -- Lux, where are you going?"

Lux had jumped up from the table and ran out the door before her mother could finish. She ran down the walkway and down the stairs. She had to find her father. She had to get some news about what happened to the Logos. She needed something, anything, just some scrap of hope that Cody was alive somewhere.

Lux ran clear across Zion, finally reaching the council building, completely out of breath. She bent down and regained her composure as best as she could, before walking through the main doors and down the hallway where she knew the board room was. Lux leaned up close to the meeting's doors and heard muffled voices. She sat down on the floor beside the doors and waited for the meeting to end. A woman noticed her as she walked by and asked in a rude tone, "can I help you dear?"

"No," said Lux bluntly, turning back to put her ear to the wall. The woman looked annoyed but continued walking briskly down the hall.

A moment later, the doors opened wide, almost hitting Lux, and Morpheus walked out. He noticed Lux on the floor and seemed startled by her presence.

"Lux," he said, as people walked out behind him and down the hallway, "what are you doing here? Waiting for your father?"

Neo walked out just then, noticing Lux still sitting against the wall.

"Lux," he said, "what is it? Is something wrong?"

Lux stood up quickly, her back still against the wall.

"No no, everything's fine," said replied, "I just wanted to know if there was any news about the Logos. Is there?"

Morpheus and Neo exchanged sympathetic glances. The hallway was now empty except for the three of them. Morpheus sighed painfully before answering Lux.

"We managed to make contact. The ship went down about one hundred miles from the entrance to the surface. They're trying to power up the ship to send it back. We've sent a few ships out to help them. They're alive, but some of them are hurt, critically hurt. Cody is one of them. He's been unconscious for a few days now. But he's stable. Once they're located, the ships will bring the crew members back immediately for medical care. They should be back soon."

Lux almost fainted right there. He was alive. Cody was alive. The world seemed to fall back into place in that one moment. Lux hadn't paid much attention to the rest of Morpheus' words after she heard Cody was alright. Lux was thrilled at the news. She couldn't understand why Morpheus sounded so grave. Cody was alive.

Lux jumped onto her father, hugging him so tightly she heard him grunt under her.

"Woah Lux!" he said laughing, "take it easy there, your dad's not as young as he used to be."

Lux laughed and grinned into his chest before pulling back to look at her father more seriously.

"What about Mode? Is he alright too?" asked Lux urgently.

"He's a little banged up, but he's alright," said Neo smiling.

Lux beamed back and grabbed onto Morpheus to hug him as well, much to his surprise, before turning and running down the hallway. She left the building in such a hurry she almost knocked a woman who was walking inside, flat on her back. Lux yelled back an apology, and ran as fast as she could back towards her building. There was one person she knew would share her joy, Ana.

Lux didn't even bother to knock on the door when she reached Ana's apartment, barging in and running directly to Ana's bedroom. Niobe came out of the kitchen looking scared as Lux ran by.

"Ana! Ana!" yelled Lux, pushing open the door to Ana's bedroom.

Ana was still in bed and looked like she'd been crying. She jumped out of bed and looked at Lux expectantly, thinking the worst of the situation. Niobe was now standing at the door to Ana's bedroom, both waited for Lux to spit out her words. Lux had run the whole way back however, and was gasping for breath, unable to speak. She needed to remember not to run so much anymore.

Niobe put a hand to Lux's shoulder while Ana just stared, her face etched in fear.

"Lux honey," said Niobe in a concerned voice, "what's going on?"

Lux managed finally to utter two words.

"They're…alright."

Ana just looked at her a few moments before processing what she had just said.

"They're… alright?" she asked shocked.

Lux nodded enthusiastically.

Ana breathed deeply before smiling and yelling, "They're alright!"

Ana laughed in joy and jumped on Lux so hard they both fell over on the floor. Lux landed hard on her back, almost knocking the wind out of her. Her body ached all over, but she was so glad she really didn't care. Ana climbed off Lux, and pulled her up.

"Sorry," she said, still smiling.

Ana ran over to her mother who was laughing at the girls and hugged her too. Ana then turned around to look back at Lux.

"Tell me everything you know!" she said excitedly.

Ana grabbed Lux's hand and dragged her back to her bed, forcing her to sit down beside her. Niobe walked back to the kitchen, smiling broadly herself.

Lux went over every detail she could remember from Morpheus' words. Ana stopped when Lux mentioned that Cody was still unconscious.

"Lux," she said, her voice wavering, "that doesn't sound good. I don't want to scare you, but sometimes people can stay in a coma for a long time, or even not wake up at all."

Lux's heart dropped down into her stomach. She hadn't though about that. She was just so thrilled to hear that he was alive, she hadn't realized that he might be still very badly injured. She now realized why her father and Morpheus had seemed so distraught. Cody's situation was serious, perhaps even deadly.

Ana seemed to notice her crestfallen look and she spoke cheerfully.

"Hey, don't worry. He's alive Lux, that's what matters. There's a very good chance he'll be alright."

Lux felt her spirits lighten somewhat. Ana was right. Lux knew there was no reason to think the worst. Cody would be alright. He had to be alright, and he would be.

Lux suddenly remembered she had run out on her mother. She needed to go back and explain to her. Her mother didn't deserve to worry any more.

"Ana, I have to go," said Lux reluctantly, "I'll see you later though."

"Of course," said Ana, smiling brightly.

Lux hugged her once more before getting up to leave. Lux bade Niobe goodbye before leaving the apartment and walking back home. Once inside, Lux closed the door loudly and yelled, "Mom, I'm back."

"I'm in here," called Trinity.

Lux walked to the kitchen where she saw her mother doing the dishes at the sink.

"I'm sorry I left like that Mom," said Lux with regret in her voice.

"That's alright sweetheart," replied her mother, "I assumed you went to find your father. Am I right?"

Lux smiled and nodded.

"And?" asked Trinity expectantly.

Lux smiled even wider before answering, "they're alright Mom."

"Mode and Cody?" asked Trinity.

"Mode yes, Cody… sort of…" said Lux, a hint of sadness in her voice as she said Cody's name, "he's alive, but he's been unconscious for a few days."

Trinity turned from the dishes and looked directly at Lux.

"He'll be just fine I'm sure," she said.

Lux nodded and walked over to hug her mother. She had given so many hugs today, she decided to always share her feelings rather than run away to be alone.

Lux pulled back from the hug to groan out loud. She had just remembered that she still needed to go talk to Buzz.

"Go now, before it's too late," said Trinity, immediately recognizing Lux's grievance.

Lux sighed and walked back out the door, this time lumbering down the walkway, trying to take as long as possible to reach the restaurant. If Buzz yelled at her for being a minute late, Lux could only imagine how angry he would be with her for skipping work completely.

After a good half an hour, Lux finally stumbled into the restaurant. It was close to four in the afternoon already and the restaurant was starting to get busy. Nico happened to be working and spotted Lux as she walked in. Nico hurried out and grabbed Lux by the arm. Lux didn't much like when she did this, which was very frequently. Nico pulled her into the staff room and sat her down on a chair. Lux was waiting for the 'I told you not to cross Buzz' lecture that she always got when she screwed up at work, but instead Nico spoke with emotion.

"I heard about the Logos," she said, "I also heard that Mode and Cody were on it. I'm so sorry. Are they alright?"

Lux was so startled by Nico's concern, she had to pause for a few moments before answering.

"Oh y-yeah, they're alright. Well Cody is hurt, he's unconscious, but he's alive so that's still good."

Nico smiled but her eyes were beginning to fill with tears. Lux had no idea such a soft person lay underneath Nico's hard exterior.

"Oh," said Nico, "I explained to Buzz and he's not angry that you ditched work on Saturday."

Lux was relieved by this news, but also a little disappointed. She had been hoping to escape this job once and for all. Ah well, at least she didn't have to talk Buzz now.

"But he still want to talk to you," added Nico.

Damn, thought Lux. She had almost been in the clear. She gave Nico her best fake smile and said, "thanks for sticking up for me Nico, you're a good friend."

Nico nodded and promptly walked out, obviously afraid she might cry if she stayed any longer.

Lux stood up and walked out of the room seconds later, heading to the kitchens to find Buzz. She secretly hoped that he would be annoyed to see her and maybe actually decide to fire her after all. Lux spotted him in the back by the chefs and made her way through the maze of counters to confront him.

"Buzz," said Lux, grabbing his attention away from criticizing a chef prepping a salad clumsily.

"Ah Lux," he said, his tone unreadable. Lux prepared for the worst.

"I was sorry to hear about your friends. Nico told me. I really wished you would have called me, but I understand. You'll be here this Saturday for sure though? No switching shifts again!"

Lux was shocked by his firm but almost compassionate words. She had at least expected a snide comment to slip in as usual. She stood dumbfounded for a moment before answering with a, "yes… yes sir, I'll be… here."

Buzz nodded before turning around to yell at the chef again. Lux stood for a moment, still unsure of what just happened. Had Buzz just been kind to her? She was sure she must be going crazy now. Lux realized she was still standing in the kitchen stupidly, when a chef bumped into her and grumbled for her to move. She quickly refocused her thoughts and headed back home, waving to Nico on the way out.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think! 


	14. Chapter 14

I think the last chapter was a little dull and it definitely wasn't the best, but I needed to tie up a few loose ends I'd created. This one should be better as I worked a little harder on it. I hope it's not too depressing. I promise it will get better soon. I hope you enjoy it! )

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix.

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When Lux arrived back home she felt tired and listless. She walked past the kitchen, ignoring her mother's greeting from the stove. The smell of chicken wafted through the apartment, but it only made Lux feel nauseous. She headed to her room and abruptly closed the door behind her, taking a deep breath. 

Lux felt the familiar emptiness of loneliness and misery creep back into her body, enveloping her without warning. It made her angry. She was past this, wasn't she? She'd already felt the worst of it, and she thought it was time for things to start looking up.

She thought about Cody being returned home unconscious, unable to hug her, kiss her, or even speak to her. She saw the life she was expecting to have wash away down the drain forever. She'd thought that either Cody would tragically die somewhere far away from her, or he'd come home rushing into her arms. She hadn't thought about a reality lying somewhere in between. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't even really sure how she felt about the whole situation. She began to feel anxious more than afraid.

Lux walked over to her bed sluggishly and fell down onto it, her face buried into her pillow. She laid like that for a good half an hour, until she heard a light knock at her door and her mother's voice.

"Lux honey, dinner's ready."

Lux slowly turned her head towards the door and said in her most cheerfully fake voice, "I'm not really hungry thanks."

She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. She knew her mother wouldn't like her answer, but she hoped she wouldn't be able to tell how distressed she was.

Trinity opened the door slowly and walked inside, coming over to sit on the bed next to Lux, who still lying face down.

"I thought you were feeling better," said Trinity in a disappointed voice.

Lux considered continuing her facade of cheerfulness, but she didn't have the energy.

"Yeah well… guess not," she said in a dull voice, muffled by her pillow.

Trinity rubbed her back soothingly saying, "it'll be alright."

Lux was getting really sick of this. The pity was stifling. Closing her eyes, she felt like she was back in the sewer tunnel all over again. She longed for the satisfaction of being able to appear defeated and not trying to regain her composure constantly.

"I'm not hungry," she repeated tiredly.

"Alright," said Trinity getting up, "you can eat later if you want."

Trinity walked out of the room and slowly closed the door behind her. Lux was stunned. Her mother never let things go or ever gave her space. Suddenly, Lux almost wished her mother had forced her to come out and eat. Her lack of immediate concern was unsettling.

Lux felt the pressure of having to work out her anxieties on her own once again. Her mother wouldn't be there forever to help her through things. She needed some sort of release. It worked last time. As bad as it felt to runaway or to almost drown in the tub, afterwards she had felt so much better. She wondered if it would work again.

Lux sat up slowly and looked around her room. She got up, rifling through her drawers and raking through her closet, looking for something, anything. She had no idea who this person was, the one that seemed to take over her body. She liked it though, in a way. She felt alive and liberated. She felt free from her old constraints and inhibitions. She could do the things that the old Lux would never even dream of doing.

Lux stood up from her position on her knees, where she had been searching through an old box of papers. There was nothing, nothing to help her feel relaxed again. She felt the nerves build up in her stomach and her blood run hot through her veins. She was beginning to feel desperate again. She tired to think of Ana, of her mother, her father, of Cody, even Mode, but she couldn't find their faces. It was as if whatever had taken over her had suppressed her ability to rationalize.

Lux headed out of her room and quietly walked down the hall, away from the kitchen where she could hear her mother grabbing some forks out of a drawer. Her father didn't appear to be home yet, so Lux felt it was safe to venture into her parents' room. She walked inside and looked around the dimly lit room. It was spotless as always, the clean crisp off-white sheets on the bed without even a crease.

Lux headed for the dresser first, pulling open drawers as quietly as possible. She rifled through her parent's clothes, but still could not find what she was looking for. She pushed closed the last drawer and looked down defeated. She was about to give up and just go back to her room when she spotted her father's desk. It was a small table in the corner with a few drawers. He kept this work papers in there, but Lux knew he also kept a few personal items in it.

She remembered back to when she was a small child and had decided to look inside the drawers. She knew she wasn't allowed, but curiosity had overcome her and she stumbled upon something in the bottom drawer. She had been about it pick it up and inspect it when her father came in and slammed the drawer closed angrily, almost catching her hand. He bent down and grabbed her shoulders, glaring at her with intensity. He then reprimanded her about not obeying. He'd said it was for her own safety. Lux had been so scared and upset about the incident she'd never even approached the desk ever again. Right now, however, the person who had taken over Lux had decided to break through this invisible barrier and find what she was looking for.

Lux walked over slowly, glancing back behind her towards the door, making sure her mother was still in the kitchen. She knelt down and placed her hand on the drawer's handle. She hoped it was still there, but a part of her also hoped it wasn't so that she couldn't use it. She pulled the drawer open slowly and spotted a stack of papers. She let out the breath that she'd been holding. It wasn't there. She felt a mixture of disappointment and relief. She looked at the papers curiously and picked them up. That was when it rolled out from underneath. It was a bottle of pills

Lux stared at the bottle for a solid minute before picking it up nervously. It was full. Lux saw there must have been at least a hundred pills inside. She turned over the label and read _Lorazepam: 2mg_.

Lux knew her father had the pills for when he had trouble sleeping years ago. She had heard her parents talking late one night about it. Lux turned over the bottle a few times and remained lost in her thoughts. She told herself over and over again to put the bottle back, close the drawer, and walk out of the room. If she did that, her parents would never know and it would be her secret forever. No one would have to find out what she almost did.

Lux made to put the bottle down, but found it stayed in her hand. She couldn't let go. The person inside of her got angry again. She needed this. It wasn't fair that she had to deal with this all on her own. One pill would end her suffering, and put her mind and heart at ease.

Lux knew the pills had probably expired years ago and her father had just forgotten to throw them out, but this fact wasn't enough to sway her decision. She popped off the lid and put a pill into her hand. It was tiny, barely more than a few centimeters wide. One tiny pill couldn't possible do her any harm. Neither could two or even three. Lux poured out a handful and put the lid back on the bottle. She placed the pile of pills onto the top of the desk, while she carefully put the bottle back underneath the papers and closed the drawer. Her father probably never even checked the pills and he would never know she had taken away.

Lux stood up and scooped up the pills. She had about twenty or so in her hand. She realized what she was about to do. Taking all of them could potentially kill her. Lux let the words sink in as she stood staring at the pills in her hand. What was she thinking? She couldn't do this. Not again, not to her family.

This time she saw them all clearly, her mother, her father, Ana, Cody, and Mode. This small handful of pills would kill them all, not just her. She couldn't and she wouldn't do that to them. She remembered that after her previous incident, along with feeling loved and cared for, she had also felt unbearable guilt. Doing what she was about to do was exactly how to make the situation worse. She finally realized it, and knew that she couldn't go through with it.

Lux made up her mind to flush the pills. She headed out of the room and was about to walk out when she ran right into her father.

Lux almost fell over in surprise. She quickly regained her footing, scrunching up her fist containing the pills and stared up at her father.

"Hey there," he said smiling at her curiously, "what were you doing?"

Lux swallowed deeply and felt her blood run cold. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she felt the color drain from her face. She was terrified of her father in that moment. She couldn't possibly explain the situation to him, not without first exposing her initial idea. She was stuck in a horrible situation.

If she'd only had a window of a few more minutes, she could have gotten rid of the pills, no one being the wiser. She dared to think maybe she could still manage to keep her cool but she realized it would be impossible. Her body was giving her away, screaming out her fear. She couldn't find words and only managed to stutter out a few syllables.

"Um… I… I w-w-was… j-just…" Lux spat out. She was finding it difficult to breathe now.

Her father was looking at her with fear and concern. He moved to take up the entire doorway preventing her from moving past him. He was trapping her.

"Lux…" he said slowly, "what were you doing?"

Lux felt her fear intensify. She was running out of time. She had to think of a way out of the situation, but her mind was dizzy.

"Nothing," she squeaked out, her voice cracking.

"Lux," said her father, looking her over. He spotted her one clenched fist and swallowed again before speaking, "what's in your hand?"

Lux's heart was pounding so loudly now that she could barely hear his voice. She had to run. If she made it to the bathroom she could lock the door and flush the pills before he could see. He would still know something was wrong, but maybe he wouldn't figure out just how serious it was. It was the only exit Lux could think of. Her father had made this difficult however, as he had taken to covering the doorway. He noticed her eyeing the open hallway behind him and read her thoughts, by moving over more to hide her view.

Lux's body was shaking and she was nervously glancing around the room, thinking of anything else. If she ran back first he would come after her and she could get around him. Standing her ground was doing nothing for her. She made up and her mind and decided to act. Lux took a slow step backwards and then another, her fist squeezing onto the pills with all the strength she had.

"Lux," her father said again, not moving from the doorway. He was eyeing her now not with concern, but with determination. He wasn't going to let her leave the room.

Lux took another step backwards, then another, picking up pace until she was backed up against the bed. She was now about seven steps away from her father still looming at her from the doorway.

Lux felt tears burn at her eyes, she was so afraid. She knew she had no chance to win this but she had to try. Any outcome was better than her father finding the pills in her hand, knowing what she had been about to do, yet again. Lux could sense her father's movement, he was about to run at her any moment and wrestle her to the ground before she could get away. She waited. She knew her father also knew her plan and he was waiting too. They stood their ground, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

Neo moved forwards, rushing at Lux and she dodged him. He fell onto the bed and turned to run after her as she made her way to the doorway. He caught her as she was about to run down the hall and pinned her again the wall just outside the door. He pushed her hard and slammed her back against the cold hard steel, causing her to cry out in surprise and fear. He had his hands against her shoulder, pinning her in place as Lux tried to break free but to no avail. Her father was incredibly strong and held her with ease. He was trying to maneuver so he could keep her in place while trying to reach her fist to pry it open. Lux struggled against him making him groan with frustration and grind her harder into the wall.

Lux knew she was only hurting herself, but she felt the angry part of her take over and she pushed against him, trying to break free. This only made Neo more angry and he tackled her until he managed to get her fist in his hand, his back now pinning Lux into the wall.

Lux turned to see her mother staring at the two from the kitchen entrance. She dropped the spoon she was holding and it fell to the floor loudly. She had a look of complete shock and fear on her face.

Lux could feel the tears springing force as she was painfully trapped between the wall and her father's body. She could feel him force open her fingers, the pills now slipping out and dropping to the floor. They all fell out and hit the floor as her hand opened completely.

Lux stopped struggling and felt her father relax completely against her. His back was still turned, leaning against her, and she couldn't tell what his reaction was. He was still holding her hand in his.

Trinity stood in the hallway, still completely silent and unmoving. She was probably trying to figure out what had just happened.

Lux felt her father squeeze her hand firmly before he slowly moved off of her. She made to say something, to apologize, but her father turned around only to sink down against the opposite wall in front of her. He sat with his knees up and his head still down so that Lux couldn't see his face. His hands moved over the pills on the floor gently.

Lux was still shaking. Her body hurt and she felt bruises forming from where her father had shoved her painfully into the wall. She stayed standing, leaning against the wall for support, yearning for her father to speak. She hated not knowing if he was angry or upset or disappointed. She needed to hear his voice. She needed to be reassured that everything was still okay, that he was okay.

Trinity made a small noise from where she was standing ten feet away, and bent down to pick up the spoon. She did not speak or look at either of them, before turning back into the kitchen.

Lux hated herself. She was destroying her family, one day at a time.

Lux focused back on her father as she heard him scrape a bunch of pills off the floor and look down at them for a moment, still hiding his face. Lux jumped in shock when he violently threw the pills at the walls, causing them to bounce off the steel noisily. She swallowed and began to sob quietly, feeling even more afraid than when her father was staring her down.

"Lux… he's alive. Mode is alive too, they're alright," said Neo in a deathly quiet tone, "but that's not what this is about anymore is it?"

Lux was confused by her father's words. She began to think to herself what this was all really about. No answer came to her mind. Perhaps he was right. She hadn't been thinking about Cody so much this time. She'd only been thinking about how alone she felt, even though Cody was alive.

Lux sank down against the wall, sitting with her knees up, still staring at her father in front of her. Neo looked over at her, tears in his eyes.

"Lux," he said carefully, "tell me what to do. Tell me how to fix this and I will. I just…" He trailed off, putting his head back down.

"I can't help you if you won't talk to me," he continued.

Lux felt shame fill her once again. She'd never meant for any of this to happen. She never wanted to hurt anyone, especially her father. He'd been through enough in his life. He'd fought and won a war that saved all of human kind. Still, Lux had managed to reduce him to a crying wreck of a man, slumped down on a cold steel floor. She felt disgusted with herself.

Lux knew she had to reassure him. She had to show him she was alright, she just slipped up. It was her moments of weakness, like this one, that seemed to give her the strength she needed to go on. She just needed to find a less dangerous way to relieve her stress and pain. A way that didn't hurt the ones she loved.

Lux slowly crawled over to her father and into his arms. He hugged her tightly and buried his face in her hair. She could hear him crying above her.

Neo pulled back to look at Lux, his voice scared and shaking.

"Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry." He hugged her tightly again.

Lux didn't have the heart to tell him she'd need a few days to recover from the deep bruising she knew she had all over her back, so she just shook her head. He pulled back again to look her in the eyes.

"Lux," he spoke firmly and intensely, "no more. No more trying to escape and run away. No more."

Lux nodded her head.

"I honestly wasn't going to take them. I changed my mind and was going to get rid of them right when you walked in."

"Is that the truth?" he asked, his face desperate.

Lux nodded again and said, "yes, I swear it is."

Neo looked relieved instantly. His face softened as he spoke again.

"Good," said Neo, "I don't think I could stand going through that again… thinking that I'd lost you."

Lux felt the bold unfeeling person inside of her completely disappear. Lux remembered how real her life was and how trying to escape only worked when there was somewhere else to go to.

"That won't happen. I'm alright now. I'm sorry dad," said Lux more confidently.

"I believe you," he said relaxing a bit more, "… but I'm not so sure I can say the same for your mother."

He looked back down the hallway to where Trinity had been standing. Lux could hear a few clanging of pots, and wondered what exactly was going through her mothers' head this whole time.

"I'll talk to her," said Neo, standing up. He reached down and pulled up Lux, but he unfortunately grabbed her right where a huge bruise was forming. Lux winced and cried out painfully as he pulled her up. He let go immediately and looked at her concerned. Lux pulled up the side of her shirt to reveal a huge black mark across her side.

"God, I'm sorry Lux," said Neo, horrified by the bruise.

"I'll be alright," said Lux pulling her shirt back down gently.

She smiled up at her father's ashamed face, letting him know she really was alright. She tried to make a joke to lighten his mood.

"I should have known better than to run from 'the One.'"

Neo laughed. He always liked when Lux mocked his celebrated status since she was one of the only people who ever really did. He put his arm around her and they walked back to the kitchen together.

Trinity was sitting at the table, dinner already ready, when they came in. Lux felt she needed to say something, fearing her mother was as upset as when she found her in the bathtub.

"Mom, I…" started Lux, but her mother interrupted her.

"It's okay, I heard your conversation," Trinity said with a small smile, "I believe you."

Lux smiled back with relief. She sat down at the table beside her mother and took her hand gently.

"Thanks Mom," she said still smiling, "I think I'm hungry now."

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I hope you liked it. Lux won't have another 'incident' again, don't worry. The worst is over. I'll try to update again soon! 


	15. Chapter 15

Fifteen chapters, woah! Haha. I hope you're still enjoying the story. 

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix. 

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Lux was running down the ever familiar walkway towards Ana's apartment. The crew of the Logos had been rescued and they have arrived back in Zion early that morning. Her father gave her the news, and she had immediately jumped out of bed, got dressed, and shoveled eggs into her mouth before proceeding to get Ana. 

She was in better spirits than she had been lately. Hearing that Cody was finally back in Zion, filled Lux with a much needed hope and sense of comfort that she had been missing since he left. She couldn't wait to go down to see him in the medical building, whether he was awake yet or not. 

She urgently knocked on the door when she reached it and Niobe answered, inviting her in kindly. 

"Morpheus just told her," said Niobe closing the door behind Lux, "she's getting ready right now. Go on in." 

Lux nodded and walked to Ana's room knocking again. Ana opened the door immediately seeming to instinctually know it was Lux, and smiled broadly, already fully dressed. 

"Let's go!" she said happily as she grabbed Lux's hand and they exited the apartment together. 

"My dad said they got back early, around two the morning," continued Ana excitedly as they walked towards the main street, "he said that Cody was doing much better and that they were sure he'd wake up soon!" 

Lux smiled as her and Ana walked hand in hand together down the many stairs. She felt complacently numb and as such didn't respond much to Ana's consistent jabbering about how the four of them were going to hang out again 'just like old times,' as if they'd done it for years. 

When they reached the old building marked, 'medical station,' they walked through the doors and into the main lobby. There were a few people sitting around in chairs, a woman and her child as well as an old man who was staring off into space and coughing sporadically, obviously waiting for an available doctor. 

They walked up to the front reception and Ana asked, "what floor are the crew from the Logos staying on?" while Lux looked around at the waiting patients curiously. 

When she looked back, Ana was eyeing her impatiently. 

"Hello? Lux? Fourth floor, let's go!" she said turning back around and shaking her head. 

Lux followed her into the elevator. Ana was just about to close the doors urgently when a sickly old woman, carrying around her IV stand with her, asked them politely to wait for her. It took her about two solid minutes to walk into the elevator and Lux suppressed a laugh as Ana tapped her foot impatiently, her finger hovering over the 'close' button. 

When the doors opened to the fourth floor, Lux bade goodbye the friendly old woman and followed Ana, who was walking briskly past each room, peeking inside. The building was rather small and quite cramped. There were about ten rooms to a floor and as many as four beds squeezed inside each room. They walked along until Ana stopped in front of a room to her left. Lux peeked in to the room and noticed two figures in a room alone. One was Cody, who was lying in a small bed and one was Mode who was sitting on the made up bed next to him. Mode sensed their presence and turned around slowly. When he caught sight of them be practically jumped over the bed and ran to grab Ana. 

"Oh my god!" he said as he picked her up and spun her around, "I missed you so much! Both of you!" 

He reached over to hug Lux too, awkwardly, making Lux laugh. 

"We missed you too," said Lux smiling back at him as he let her go. 

Mode looked at Ana who had buried herself into his shoulder. She was speechless and just remained holding onto him, smiling broadly. He hugged her back fiercely and Lux decided to go into the room to give them some privacy. 

She walked over to Cody's bed, feeling her heart beat faster the closer she got. He was lying on his back unconscious. There were heart monitors plugged up to him that were beeping every so often as his heart rate was slow but steady. It'd been only a few weeks since he'd left, but it had felt so much longer. Cody looked the same, though his face was paler and his skin was scarred in a few places where he must have been hurt in the crash. 

Lux sat down on the same bed that Mode had been sitting, just a few feet from Cody's bed. She reached over and put her hand over his, squeezing it lightly. She desperately wished he would squeeze back, but all she felt was the coldness of his skin against her hand. 

A few minutes later, Ana had come in to tell her that she and Mode were going to spend some time at his place. When she noticed Lux's sad disposition she had invited her to come along but Lux politely refused, knowing they needed their time alone. She was also just content to stay by Cody's side. She didn't want to leave him, knowing at any moment he might wake up. She didn't want him to be alone if he did. She wanted to be there, holding his hand, letting him know she'd never leave him side again. 

Lux looked up at the clock a few hours later and saw how much time had passed. She decided she should call her parents before they began to worry. She reluctantly left Cody's side and walked out to the phone hanging on the wall. She picked it up and slowly dialed her number. 

"Hello?" she heard her mother's voice pick up. 

"Hi Mom," replied Lux in a soft voice. 

"Hi sweetheart, where are you?" asked Trinity. 

"I'm at the medical station still with Cody," replied Lux. 

"Are Ana and Mode with you?" asked Trinity sounding concerned. 

"No," replied Lux, "they went back to Mode's, but I'm alright here. I'll be home in a few hours." 

"Alright," said Trinity, "I'll wait up for you." 

"Thanks," said Lux, before she hung up the phone. 

She looked around the hallway and watched the doctor's aides busily sorting supplies and checking on patients. It had been noisier earlier during midday, but it was quieting down as evening approached. 

Lux walked back into Cody's room and sat back down on the bed beside him, looking at the monitors. His heart rate was the same, no change. Lux sighed softly, wondering to herself just how long it would be until Cody woke up. 

An aide walked in the room just then and looked up at Lux. She was a middle-aged woman with a short stature and a kind smile. 

"Oh hello dear," she said in a sweet voice, "is he a friend of yours?" 

Lux nodded, "yeah," and grabbed his hand again. 

She seemed to understand as she smiled again and walked over to Cody's IV tube that went into his hand. She had a needle with her and she inserted it into the tube.

Lux looked at her questioningly wondering what the white substance in the needle was. 

"It's something to help him wake up," explained the nurse, catching her eye. 

"Will it work?" asked Lux skeptically. 

"It should," replied the aide, "people usually don't stay asleep for too long." 

She pulled out the empty needle and looked at Lux reassuringly. 

"Visiting hours are over in a few minutes," she said eyeing Lux's hand on Cody's, "but I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you stayed a bit longer." 

Lux smiled gratefully as she walked out and looked back over at Cody's IV. She willed the medicine to work, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. She opened her eyes back up and looked at the monitors. No change. 

There was the sound of footsteps entering the room behind her, and Lux assumed it was the aide again. However she turned around when she heard a familiar voice. 

"How is he?"

It was Jason. He was wearing a grease stained outfit, and Lux guessed he had just come back from working down on the ships. She looked back over at Cody before replying, "he's still hasn't woken up yet." 

Jason walked around slowly and sat down beside Lux, a few feet over. He put down the tools he was carrying and looked at Cody for a full minute before he spoke.

"When they told me his ship crashed… I thought about my parents."

He spoke slowly, leaning over, staring at Cody intently with a far away look on his face. 

"I thought about when they died. I remember how alone I felt, without them. But then Cody got older and I knew I wouldn't be alone. I'd always have him." 

Lux could see the tears in his eyes. She put her free hand on Jason's knee, trying to offer him some comfort. She realized how lucky she was to have all the people in her life. Jason was potentially losing the only part of his family he had left. 

He sniffed loudly, trying to hide his emotion, before looking over at Lux who was looking back at him with an understanding expression. 

"You know you're the first girl he's ever really even talked to?" he said softly, smiling a little. 

Lux smiled lightly and turned to look at Cody. 

"Really?" she asked, feeling warmth spread into her heart. 

"Yeah," said Jason beside her, "I could see it in his face… how much he cared about you." 

Lux let a tear escape her eye and fall down her cheek slowly. 

"I'm just glad you care about him the same way," he said looking at Cody again. 

Lux nodded and put her hand to her mouth to muffle her cries that were now erupting from her. She felt Jason move to hug her and she leaned into him gratefully. The smell of his work clothes, grease and something metallic, reminded her of Cody and relaxed her. She pulled away after a few minutes, looking at Jason with a mix of appreciation and embarrassment. He smiled down at her, and when Lux saw the tears in his own eyes, she didn't feel as discomfited. 

"I'd stay," he said looking at Cody once again, "but it's getting late and I have to finish up some repairs." 

Lux nodded and said, "I'll be here for a while longer, go ahead." 

He bent down to pick up his tools and went to leave before looking back suddenly, "Oh!" 

Lux looked at him, confused by his exclamation. She watched him reach into his tool bag and pull out an old looking book. Lux recognized it as the one she had read that day in Cody's room. 

"I was going to leave this with him," explained Jason, "it's his favorite thing in the world and I knew if he woke up he'd want it." 

He passed it off to Lux and she took it carefully, feeling the familiar texture of the old material peeling off the cover. 

"I guess you could look at it if you get lonely," he said. 

"Thank you," said Lux smiling at him, before he left. 

She turned the book over in her hands, and then squeezed it into her chest, feeling the familiar twinge of sadness overwhelm her. She knew Jason only had good intentions leaving the book with her, but it reminded her of that night she'd been with Cody. All she could think about was the possibility that she might never have that again. She clutched the book, crying new tears all over herself. 

After a few moments she regained her composure. She knew she was being irrational again. The aide had just told her that patients wake up quite soon usually. The woman may have just wanted to be kind and optimistic, but Lux was sure that there must have been some truth to her words. False hope didn't seem like something a doctor's aide would pass around carelessly. 

Lux opened the book up in her lap and found the poem she'd thought about that night in the sewer, the E.E. Cummings one. She read it over and over again, memorizing each line, each word, and each letter. She accidentally let a single tear slip down off her cheek onto the page. She hastily wiped it away, but smeared the age old ink in the process, a word slightly smudged. She frowned down at the page. She'd ruined it. She slammed the book closed, angry with herself. 

She wiped her face and placed the book on the bed beside her. She looked over at Cody, his chest rising and falling lightly with each even breath. He seemed so peaceful, while she sat there so shattered. She wondered where he was. Was he in a dream, or perhaps a memory, or even somewhere consciously able to see and hear her now? She hoped that last one wasn't true, as she knew what a wreck she looked. Lux hoped he was either in a pleasant dream or a good memory. Maybe even with a little luck, a memory with her. 

Lux sniffed away the last of her tears and slowly crawled into the bed beside Cody. She was tiny and managed to squeeze in, lying sideways with her arms across his chest and her head on his shoulder. She breathed in his scent and it took all the strength she had not to cry all over again. 

She closed her eyes and pictured them lying together much like this, on the night before he left. She put her hand directly over his chest, feeling the gentle beating of his heart, then leaned her head up and kissed him softly on the jaw. His skin tasted the same as she had remembered. 

Each moment beside him was amazing as it felt so good to be close to him. At the same time however, each moment was also so torturous, as it pained Lux that he couldn't hold her back or return her kiss. 

She let her thoughts wander into each memory she had of him burned into her mind, and slowly drifted off to sleep. 

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Please let me know if you're still enjoying the story! Thanks! 


	16. Chapter 16

And here it is, the final chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix… still.

* * *

When Lux woke up it was to a gentle tap on her shoulder.

"Dear, is your name Lux? I believe you have a phone call."

Lux looked up to see the face of the same doctor's aide that she had talked with earlier. The woman was smiling down at her, looking apologetic for waking her.

Lux sat up with a yawn, and realized with a bit of surprise, that she was still lying next to Cody, unaware that she'd drifted off. She looked up at the clock on the wall as she slowly got out of the bed. She jumped a little when she realized it was almost one in the morning and she had been asleep for hours. She knew already that it was her mother on the phone, probably worried that something had happened to her.

Lux followed the aide out into the hallway and a woman handed her a phone from across the desk with another friendly smile.

"Mom?" asked Lux into the receiver.

"Hi sweetheart," replied Trinity in a soft voice, "I was worried about you but they said you just fell asleep."

"Yeah," replied Lux, "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay," said Trinity, "but you know you do have school tomorrow."

"Urgh," Lux groaned into the phone loudly, making the aides look up at her and smile again.

Trinity sighed on the other end of the line.

"I suppose you could skip just one day," she said kindly.

It was times like these that Lux knew she truly had the greatest mother in all of Zion. She needed to tell her that more often.

"You're the greatest Mom," said Lux in a sincere voice.

"Oh yeah?" replied Trinity, "only when I indulge you right?"

Lux laughed lightly. She knew her mother was only joking.

"I'd prefer it if you stayed there for the night rather than walk home this late," said Trinity.

"Yeah, alright," replied Lux, "goodnight Mom, I'll be home in the morning."

"Goodnight sweetheart," replied Trinity, before she hung up.

Lux handed the phone back to the aide and thanked her kindly. The woman nodded and smiled, before turning back to her work.

Lux walked back into Cody's room and lied back down on the bed beside him, careful not to joggle him too much. She propped her head against her arm and looked at him again. He was breathing steady, the same state she had left him in when she fell asleep. She traced over the deep scars on his neck and face lightly with her fingers. He felt cold again. She pulled the thin blanket he had over him up further and buried her face into his neck.

Lux felt exhausted but sleep didn't come again easily. She kept thinking about waking up tomorrow to see Cody still sleeping soundly, and she still being unable to wake him. She thought about coming back day after day only to be disappointed with no change in his mental state. She imagined herself as an old woman still coming to visit him, waiting patiently for him to wake up. Once again, she knew she was being irrationally pessimistic, as was her style.

She closed her eyes and tried desperately to think about something more cheerful before she was reduced to tears again. She should probably go to school tomorrow, if only for a break from this isolated room and a distraction from her negative thoughts. If she had learned anything from these past few weeks it was that being alone could only intensify one's sadness.

Lux never did fall asleep again. Her eyes were closed, but she was still awake behind them, her mind reeling with possibilities. She had managed to focus on thoughts about Cody eventually waking up. But that only led to different negative consequences. What if he had lost his memory and didn't recognize her? What if he did remember her, but he had changed his mind about how he felt? What if he had been lying the whole time and only wanted to have her for that one night? How foolish would she feel being this upset and being so attached to him, lying here hour after hour?

Lux quickly managed to toss this idea as well though, as she was sure that after Jason's brief conversation with her that Cody did reciprocate her feelings. Jason would have no reason to lie to her about something like that, not even to make her feel better.

At what Lux guessed was around six in the morning, the lights flickered back on dimly, lighting up the room. Lux opened her eyes, the lids heavy from the restless night. She knew she would have horrible bags under her eyes for the rest of the day. She looked out the window that was just above her eye level and noticed the streets were mostly empty, except for a few people walking briskly to work.

The doctor's aide walked in slowly, assuming Lux guessed, that she was still asleep. Lux turned to look at the familiar woman.

"Hope I didn't wake up," she spoke in her usual kind voice, "I need to give him another dose and replace his IV drip."

Lux felt empty and tired and so she only nodded before attempting to stretch out her limp arms and legs.

"Did you get much sleep?" asked the aide, putting a new bag into Cody's drip.

"Not really," replied Lux groggily, watching her with interest.

"He's lucky to have a sweet girl like you to watch over him," said the woman, now pumping a needle of white powder into Cody's IV tube.

Lux just smiled at her and slowly got out of the bed, moving her legs which had fallen asleep and were numb.

The aide finished up and smiled at her again before leaving the room.

Lux bent down to pick up Cody's book that had fallen to the floor of the neighboring bed. She ran her hand over the cover again and tucked it under her arm. She put her shoes back on that she had taken off before climbing into the bed. She decided it was time to head back home as she knew her mother was expecting her.

Lux was just at the doorway, about to turn down the hall, when she heard a noise from behind her. She didn't dare turn around. She wanted to but she didn't dare. Lux was afraid that what she heard was only in her head, and that turning to see Cody still unconscious would only disappoint her immensely.

She heard the noise again, a rustling of blankets, coming from Cody's bed. Lux dropped the book that was under her arm and it fell to the floor loudly. The hallway was deserted so she focused on a single spot on the floor, still not moving to turn around.

"Lux?" said a strained voice from behind her.

Lux would have known his voice anywhere and she certainly didn't need anything else to get up the courage to turn around slowly.

Cody was sitting up in the bed, his eyes locked on hers. He was looking at her with fear and surprise.

Lux wanted to speak but all she could manage was to swallow deeply. It didn't feel real and for a second she wondered if this wasn't just some dream and was really still sleeping beside him.

"Where am I?" he asked, not waiting for her to speak first.

He looked around the room nervously and glanced down at his hand with the IV in it. He made to pull it out and Lux took it as a queue to approach him and speak as soberly as she could manage.

"Don't, please," she said softly, trying to reassure him, "you're in the medical center in Zion. They rescued you from the Logos when it crashed. You've been unconscious for a few days."

Cody seemed shocked by this information. It took him a moment and then Lux saw realization dawn on him slowly. He looked down at himself sadly and then looked back up at her again.

"Is everyone else okay?" he asked cautiously, as if Lux were the one in the bed instead of him.

Lux nodded gently and smiled at him a little, moving to sit down on the bed beside him. She felt most of her fear melt away. He had woken up finally and he still had his memory. Those were two less things to worry about now, though Lux was still weighted down by the fear that the Cody in front of her, sitting in the bed, may not be the Cody she said goodbye to.

Cody was looking at her intently but after a moment he looked away quickly, too quickly. Lux felt uneasy and her anxieties intensified. Something was wrong.

"You were leaving," he said looking down and picking at the blanket nervously, "did you just come to check if I was okay?"

Lux was almost offended by his attitude. How could he ask her that? Did he honestly think she would only drop in to check his progress? Did he think that she cared that little?

Lux suddenly saw the pieces of the puzzle fit together in her head. He was obviously thinking the same thing she was. He wasn't sure if she still felt he same way about him. She wasn't entirely sure how she knew this exactly, but she just knew.

"When I heard you were here, I ran as fast as I could, "replied Lux, making sure to emphasize her desperation so he would know how she still felt, "I laid with you all night. I just couldn't leave…"

Lux said the last part with her head down, she felt a little ashamed at her desperation now. She knew how much she had overreacted the past few weeks and she was worried Cody may not be as understanding as her family.

Lux looked up when she felt Cody grab her hand that was resting on her knee. She noticed his tears and felt her own well up in her eyes.

"Lux…" he choked out, looking at her imploringly.

That was all it took for Lux to practically jump onto the bed and into his arms. She squeezed him tightly, trying to convey just how intensely she had missed him since the day he left. She found the words she had longed to say so many times.

"I love you."

Her voice was muffled by her tears and his neck but she knew he heard her when he replied, "I love you so much," with equal intensity.

She felt him pull back slightly and she followed thought quite reluctantly. He was still sitting up on the bed and she was sitting on his lap, her legs on either side of him. He looked at her face and wiped a tear from her cheek affectionately.

"You have no idea how much I missed you," Lux managed to say in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes I do," he replied firmly, "just ask Mode how much I annoyed him."

Lux laughed which made Cody smile.

"I missed hearing that," he said softly.

He pulled her in and kissed her deeply. Lux felt all the moments of sadness melt away as her body filled with passion and love all over again. She knew that Cody was all she'd ever need in life. With him she felt safe, loved, and complete. She wanted to give him that too kind of security too.

Lux smiled at him as she pulled away, because she realized that they had both finally found what they had been looking for through all their pain and suffering the past couple of weeks… a new life… together.

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And that's all she wrote. I'm actually quite sad that it's over because I loved writing it so much. I hope you enjoyed it even half as much as I enjoyed writing it and thanks so much to all those people who read and reviewed!


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